Mulligan
by CrinkleCorgi
Summary: After Nick lift to join the ZDP Finnick found out it's much harder to scam people when you're so small. However his world is about to change when he steals a new phone. *Warning: This story has rude language and will eventually involve diapers. You have been warned*
1. Chapter 1

It was late in the afternoon as many different animals were going about there day. The city of Zootopia was home to thousands of different mammals ranging from the small mouse to the large elephant; the city where anyone could be anything they wanted, no matter how small.

As all the animals walked by few paid any attention to the van that was parked in the alleyway. A small sand colored fennec fox quickly ran up to the van and scurried inside, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it.

"HAHA FINALLY" he said to himself as he happily ogled his latest score.

The small fox's name was Finnick and he was overjoyed from his latest score. It has been 6 months since his former best friend Nick ditched him to become a cop. Without Nick's charm and people skills, everyone saw through Finnick's scheme which ended up with him getting bruises and claw marks. If ditching him wasn't bad enough, Nick even had the audacity to slip money into his van now and again: as if Finnick was some charity case. Out of spite Finnick would take the money, although he would never let the other fox know it. However even with the money it was still tough for Finnick to get enough to keep the van gassed and food in his belly, which meant he had to resort to things such as petty theft.

Today's score however was something more than food or gas money. Since he had no stable income Finnick couldn't afford luxuries like an apartment or insurance for his van. His latest score however gave him something that he's been wanting for a while: the newest iPaw.

Earlier that day Finnick just walked around the city waiting for the right target. He finally spotted the latest version of the phone in the hands of a wolf sitting at a cafe. Finnick watched his target for half an hour making note of the password on his phone. Once the wolf finally got distracted he took the opportunity and went for the phone. However without Nick to keep targets distracted Finnick was met with a hard kick from the wolf that sent him flying into the bushes. Kicking Finnick was probably the worst thing the wolf could have done, as it gave him enough distance to sneak away with the phone.

Once back in the van Finnick didn't waste anymore time as he proceeded to pop the back off the phone and went to work.

"Ok just need to pull this out….good now just replace this with this and…DONE. THANK YOU WEASELTON" he muttered as he tinkered with the phone.

It was because of his "friend" Duke Weaselton that Finnick learned how modify the phone so it couldn't be traced. Along with the tech lessons Finnick also bought a charger and a proxy sim card so that it would trick the phone into thinking he had a paid subscription.

Finnick slid the cover back onto the phone and swiped the password in. Happily, he started playing with the phone and getting familiar with it. It only took several minutes for him to get familiar with it; he was already somewhat familiar with them from when he used to play on Nick's phone.

He lied back while slouched against the side of the van playing with his newly acquired phone. The phone was a perfect thing for situations like this when he had to be quiet. He couldn't blast his French rap as he usually did due to the fact the ZPD were probably looking for him and the loud music was a magnet for cops.

Holding his bruised side the fox stretched some as he felt paper at his fingertips. Looking down he could see that it was an envelope.

*ugh*

Finnick knew exactly what it was. He unsheathed one of his claws and opened it up. Unsurprisingly there was $60 in there just like the last several times. To go with the money Nick would always put a picture of himself with a smug grin just to rub it in Finnick's face.

"Smug bastard" Finnick said as he threw the photo into the pile with all the other pictures Nick sent.

He had met Nick 7 years ago when he tried to sell Finnick a faulty vacuum. After a lengthy conversation about Nick's mother and an exchange of angry snarls, the two foxes soon realize they each had a common goal of hustling others for money. Soon after they successfully pulled off their first score together Finnick and Nick became fast friends. Finnick remembered all the times they had to drive away when a hustle went wrong. He couldn't even count the times they ate take out in the back of his van and all the time they had on the road together before they came to the city.

"I gave that prick seven years of my life and how does he repay my…by stabbing me in the back so he can chase after that bunny he knew for less than a week" Finnick said out loud

Shutting his eyes, Finnick remembered clearly when Nick left. It was right after he finished helping that bunny girl who tricked Nick into helping her. When he saw Nick coming walking up to his van Finnick figured they'd be heading out to do another hustle. However after they had a chat his hope turned to rage.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR GONNA BE A COP !?" Finnick shouted at Nick "WHAT ABOUT OUR HUSTLES?!"

"Look I'm sorry Finnick but this is something I have to do" Nick said back "I can't do scams with you anymore"

At this point Finnick's rage finally broke as he took the spare apartment key Nick had given him and hurled it at

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY VAN YOU PRICK, I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN" He shouted as Finnick had his fangs and claws exposed using what little restraint he had left to hold back his murderous intent. "YOU'RE DEAD TO ME"

As the night went on Finnick just played with his new iPaw. Apparently the wolf was really boring as all the phone had was the basic apps that came installed on it. The only saving grace was that the internet still worked on the phone. However that eventually proved to be boring after a few minutes.

Finnick checked all of his favorite French rap artists. The only thing that had really changed was a new album for some and announcements for concerts that Finnick could never afford to go to. With a defeated sigh he looked over to the pile of pictures.

"Fine you win, but only because I'm bored"

Finnick still remembered Nick's old number from the times he got to mess with Nick's phone. After adding it to contacts he opened up the texting and sent a message

Finnick: _Hey_

Nick: _Who is this?_

Finnick: _I'll give you a hint you stabbed him in_

 _the back to go chase that bunny girl_

Nick: _Oh mini-me how ya doin :)_

Finnick: _Fuck off, the only reason I'm talking_

 _to you is because I'm bored_

Nick: _Either way you're still talking to me ;)_

The rest of the night Finnick kept texting Nick as they exchanged basic things like what they were doing and how their day went. Finnick accidently let it slip that he was using the newest iPaw.

Nick: _Oh you got the iPaw6, how'd you get one of those_

Finnick: _Fuck you I know what you're trying_

 _to do with the cop routine_

Nick: _Aww c'mon I wouldn't arrest you. Don't you trust me_

Finnick: _No no I don't. Not anymore_

Nick: _Aww that hurt little buddy what happened to that baby I used to know and love [Photo sent]_

Finnick looked in horror at the picture Nick sent. It was him in that elephant baby outfit from the last hustle they pulled together.

Finnick: _FUCK YOU DELETE THAT_

 _FUCKING PICTURE_

Nick: _Aww but its all I have to remember you :)_

Finnick: _I SAID DELETE IT YOU_

 _DUCKING BASTARD_

Nick: _ok ok fine don't get your diaper in a knot_

"Damn auto-correct"

After Nick said he would delete the picture, the phone's screen went darker as the low battery warning popped up. Finnick sighed knowing he'd have to find a way to charge it tomorrow because of the van's lack of charging equipment

Finnick just chucked the phone aside as he stripped down to just his underwear, lying in the pile of blankets he called a bed and falling asleep.

 _He couldn't move. All he could make out was 2 massive figures. He was looking up at both of then and they were looking down at him. He realized that one figure was holding him. He had no idea what the figures wanted but he could tell they didn't mean any harm. One of the figures then put a mass around the other and got closer._

Finnick suddenly woke up. According to a clock outside the van it was the middle of the night. He shifted himself only to realize he was covered in a cold sweat

"Weird ass dream" he groggily muttered to himself as he moved to a dry spot and went back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Uuuuugh" Finnick moaned

Ever since Finnick stole that iPaw over a week ago thing had become…..interesting. He was glad he had the phone so he could use it to watch shows and such, even if it was a pain in the tail to find places to charge it. But ever since Nick sent him that picture of him wearing the elephant costume he couldn't get it out of his mind. As soon as Finnick thought he had finally forgotten about it his mind would just randomly think back to him wearing it and acting like a kid in it.

Normally this would be harmless daydreaming, however the thoughts were starting to distract him when he tried to do a scam or steal something. Just today when he was trying to snatch a panther woman's purse the thought just creped into his mind: distracting him long enough for the woman to notice and unsheathe her claws.

With a claw mark on his back and the sun starting to set, Finnick groaned and limped back to the van empty handed. While walking, he could feel the air getting cooler. Being a fennec fox temperature was a big deal and he could detect things such as changes in temperature a lot better than most mammals. Of course you didn't have to be an expert to know that it got cooler as it got closer to autumn.

While searching for spots to charge the phone at, Finnick stumbled upon the perfect place to park his van. He had managed to find a wide alleyway around two closed businesses which gave him a good amount of privacy. However the best part about this spot was that it had an unlocked outside outlet that still worked.

"Nice. Still here and fully charged" he said to himself,

It was risky to leave the phone out in the open while he was trying to hustle, but Finnick didn't have the patience to wait around for it to charge. His current strategy of covering the phone with trash seemed to be working though as it looked unmoved since he put it there this morning.

Grabbing the phone and charger Finnick unlocked the door of his van and spotted an envelope lying in the center of the back.

"How the hell does Nick keep finding my van?" he grumpily muttered to himself

Slamming the door shut he ripped open the envelope to grab Nick's money, getting ready to toss the picture into the pile with the others. However to Finnick's horror when he looked at the photo he didn't see Nick's usual smug grin, but the picture of him in that damn elephant onesie.

Growling, Finnick grabbed his phone and started texting Nick

Finnick: _I TOLD YOU TO FUCKING DELETE_

 _THAT PICTURE_

Nick: _I did delete it, but I made sure to save it to my computer just in case anything happened to it_

Finnick: _I want all the copies you have_

 _deleted NOW_

Nick: _but that's the reason I sent a copy to you, so you'd always have a copy_

Finnick: _I hate you_

Nick: _Aww what's wrong bad day today?_

Finnick just gritted his teeth. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Nick and his smugness so he just stopped messaging him.

The scratch mark was starting to take its toll on Finnick as he felt the throbbing from the area. He didn't want to jam out to his music as it would require too much moving and that was the last thing he wanted to do right now. As he laid there on his stomach he suddenly started thinking about the elephant suit and how he had to wear a diaper to pull off the disguise.

'Damnit Nick'

If it wasn't for Nick, Finnick would have just forgotten about wearing the outfit altogether. Finnick shuttered as he thought about him being in a diaper again. Looking down to distract himself, he soon saw that he'd accidently pressed the web browser.

Thinking it over for a minute, Finnick slowly typed into the search bar, _Adults wearing diapers,_ and clicked searched.

"Just gonna have a quick look to get that damn thought out of my head"

He put the screen down and slowly brought it up, bracing himself for what he might see. When he finally looked at the pictures Finnick, to be honest, was disgusted

"What the Fuck" he said out loud

The first page contained nothing but mammals wearing baby stuff and acting like children. His attitude didn't change much as he kept scrolling through the pictures. Each new page added a new level of disgust to the fox.

"How does anyone like this stuff!"

Scrolling for a bit more the fox backed out of the pictures. He was about to just exit out of the tab altogether, until he saw a site specifically used for messaging other adults who wore diapers. Seeing the site made Finnick wonder if he should try talking to some of these people to get a better understand.

'Do I really want to do this?' Finnick thought to himself

After seeing all the pictures it really made Finnick question looking further into diapers. But the more he thought about it, the more he kept thinking about the suit. In the end he gave up and made an account.

He compromised with himself saying that if he didn't like what he saw he would just delete the account and that'd be it. After thinking for a few minutes about a cool nickname Finnick eventually decided on the name **SandDemon**

After the account was created Finnick immediately got a message from somebody.

"That was fast" he said as he clicked on the first message

 **Mcfixit:** _hewwo. Dew you wansta be my fwiend?_

Seeing the poor grammar in the message, Finnick's only response was

 **You:** _No_

'Jeez was this guy dropped on his head when he was a cub?' he thought as he blocked the messenger.

Soon after the first message his phone vibrated and he saw two more people sent him messages.

"Oh great, I wonder what these people want?"

 **Foxy_Grandpa:** _Hey there little one, want me to change your diaper_

 **You:** _No go away please_

 **Kinky Koala:** _Hey wanna rp?_

 **You:** _I don't know what that is but no_

Finnick yawned after blocking the last person. A day of failed hustles and minor fur wounds really took it out of the small fox.

'I'll just delete it in the morning' he lazily thought to himself before stripping down for bed. Not wanting to make the wound any worse, Finnick decided to sleep on his stomach for the night. Yawning one last time, the fox shut his eyes and went to sleep on the pile of blankets.

 _He couldn't move. All he could make out was 2 massive figures. He was looking up at both of then and they were looking down at him. He realized that one figure was holding him. He had no idea what the figures wanted but he could tell they didn't mean any harm. One of the figures then put a mass around the other and got closer._

Finnick gasped as he violently awoke from his dream. Panting the fox looked around and could tell it was early in the morning: at lot earlier than Finnick would have liked.

"That damn dream again" he groggily muttered to himself

He lied down, about to go back to sleep, until he saw the blinking light on his phone. He lazily reached over for it and saw it was a new message from that site.

"uuugh alright fine I'll see what they want before I delete it"

Rubbing his face, Finnick unlocked the phone and opened the web browser. Surprisingly there was only one message from a guy named **Honestman**.

 **Honestman:** _Hello,_

 _My name is honestman and it's nice to meet you. I saw that you created an account here and I'd like to introduce myself. I'm somewhat new to this site and the whole Adult cub/diaper lover thing and I'd like to talk with someone about it and make a new friend. If you'd like to talk more please let me know_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Honestman_

Finnick just stared at the message. He was actually relieved it wasn't just some person looking to do something to him. With his sleep deprived state, he decided to reply to the person messaging him.

 **SandDemon** : _Uuh that's cool in all dude but what's with the paragraph long response?_

Putting the phone down, Finnick laid his head back onto the pile and was about to go back to sleep. However his plans were interrupted when he heard the vibrator go off on the phone.

'Already?' he thought picking it back up and unlocking it

Although the first message had been sent 2 hours ago the response by the guy seemed almost immediate.

 **Honestman:** _Oh I'm sorry. My friend just taught me how to use a computer and I'm still trying to get used to everything_

 **SandDemon:** _lol it's ok I understand. I'm just happy there's someone on this site that actually is using more than 1 braincell._

 **Honestman:** _Yeah I know what you mean. I had a bunch of people message me asking to do weird stuff when I first made an account_

 **SandDemon:** _Hah the exact same thing happened to me too._

The two hit it off pretty fast, sending message after message to each other. Before Finnick knew it, it was already 10 in the morning. It didn't matter to him though as he'd finally found somebody else who seemed normal and didn't like to do the baby talk stuff.

Throughout the entire month, Finnick would spend his evenings messaging the guy. From him he found out the diaper thing was called Adult Cub/Diaper Lovers. He also was interested in talking about regular things like sports and just random things like what kind of pie he liked. While talking with him Finnick was able to figure out what role he'd enjoy more

 **Honestman:** _So what would you say you are: a cub or a caretaker_

 **SandDemon:** _I don't know. I really don't like the idea of taking care of older people pretending to be babies_

 **Honestman:** _Then I think you'd be happier in a cub role._

Near the end of the month the guy sent him a more personal message.

 **Honestman:** _So ummm I was wondering. Could you tell me your name and send a picture of yourself to me. I just want to get to know you a little better._

Finnick sat there looking at the message. He couldn't believe that he'd ask him for something so personal. Finnick had figured that everyone would just want to be anonymous while talking about this, but this "honestman" actually was asking him for a name and picture. Finnick thought it over for a bit, but somehow he knew he could trust the guy.

 **SandDemon:** _Ok here, just don't show it to anybody ok, and my name is Finnick [photo sent]_

 **Honestman:** _Oh you're a fox?_

"And here we go" Finnick said in an annoyed tone.

He already knew the bad reputation that foxes had in the world, and from the tone of the guy it seemed like he was one of "those" people.

 **SandDemon:** _Is that a problem?!_

 **Honestman:** _No no, it's just kinda perfect._

 **SandDemon:** _?_

 **Honestman:** _Here let me show you what I mean [Photo sent]_

Finnick clicked on the icon and opened up the photo. Once seeing it, Finnick realized what the man meant by it being perfect. The man was a slightly chubby red fox with his hair parted both ways smiling a warm friendly smile.

 **SandDemon:** _ooooh now I understand. You never told me your name btw._

 **Honestman:** _Oh sorry, it's Gideon._

"Gideon huh, well at least I have a name and a face" he muttered to himself

As Finnick was about to message him back the low battery indicator popped up on his phone

 **SandDemon:** _Sorry my phones dying and I have to go_

Turning off the phone, he carelessly chucked it to the other side of the van

'I'll charge it later'

As Finnick threw the phone, he didn't look to see where it went. It hit the base of a towering stack of boxes, which cased the top to fall over and spill out all its contents.

"Damnit" he muttered.

While Finnick was sloppily putting everything back in the box, he noticed a well worn picture on the floor. Picking it up he looked at it, seeing a female fennec fox with a smaller one sitting on her lap.

"Oh mama" Finnick sadly sighed as he gently hugged the picture.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok I think I finally figured out how to do these type of things. Sorry I'm still trying to get used to how this site works on a technical level.**

 **Anyway hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as stuff actually starts happening. Let me know what you think :)**

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this"

It had been a month after Finnick had sent Gideon the picture of himself. Things had gone pretty well after that, with Finnick spending most of his nights just messaging Gideon on his phone. One night while messaging Gideon he had asked Finnick something he'd never even considered doing before.

 **Honestman:** _So umm I don't know if you'd want to do this, but would you like to come over to my place this weekend. I'd like to take care of you like a kit if you'd let me._

Finnick just stared at his phone screen. He had never imagined taking this "adult cub" thing to the next level and physically doing it.

 **SandDemon:** _Um wouldn't that be kinda gay?_

 **Honestman:** _It's not like it'd be anything sexual, I could never do anything like that to someone I might take care for._

His mind was racing with so many questions. Did he actually want to be taken care of like a child? Could he trust this guy who he met a few months ago?

His thoughts were interrupted as the phone vibrated on his chest.

 **Honestman:** _Here are my directions, in case you were considering it._

As Finnick's typed in the directions into the GPS on the phone, he saw that Gideon lived out in the middle of nowhere.

 **SandDemon:** _I just looked it up and you're like a 5 hour drive from me both ways_

 **Honestman:** _Oh so that's a no then, that's fine I understand._

Finnick thought it over one more time and with a sigh he replied.

 **SandDemon:** _No I'm just saying it's a long drive. I guess I'll give it a try, it's not like I do anything on the weekends._

 **Honestman:** _Really! That's great. Although their will be a few ground rules if you come over._

 **SandDemon:** _Rules?_

 **Honestman:** _yeah like no talking unless I say so, you have to wear a diaper at all times, you have to at least try doing some more childish things, you have to listen to me, let me take care of you, and you have to arrive wearing something cute and babyish_

This was almost a deal breaker for Finnick. He always hated people telling him what to do and now this random person on the internet wanted him to come over and follow a bunch of rules. The small fox was about to reply with "never mind" but something in the back of his mind told him to at least try it. Reluctantly the fox got back on his phone and typed.

 **SandDemon:** _Alright fine I'll follow em, but if there's something I really don't want to do I'm not doing it. And I don't want you to call me by my name cause It'd be weird_

 **Honestman:** _Ok then that's fine. How about something simple like my lil baby?_

 **SandDemon:** _That's fine I guess_

*BEEP*

Finnick was jolted back into reality as he swerved to avoid hitting a car. Unlike the city where you had to be constantly thinking about the cars around you, country driving was a lot more peaceful. There were barely any other cars on the road and it allowed his mind to drift and take in the scenery.

"At least the view's nice" Finnick said as he looked at all the trees changing color, a sure sign of autumn.

Fall in the city wasn't anything spectacular. Only the few trees planted in the sidewalks would change their leaves, which made them even look even sicklier compared to the buildings beside them. On top of that only a few districts would actually change as others stayed the same. However while driving in the country it was nice to see the fields of orange and yellow everywhere.

Making sure there weren't any other cars around, Finnick let his mind drift again. Even though Nick's money was a nice boost Finnick would need a lot more to be able to afford all the gas he'd be using. As the date for his "playdate" was drawing closer he got desperate as all his recent scores weren't yielding the amount needed. In his desperation he decided to do his most bold and stupid hustle yet: stealing from Mr. Big

Usually animals that were caught stealing or messing with Mr. Big ended up floating belly up in Tundra Town. Finnick had to be extra careful if he was going to be missing with Mr. Big. He picked a low key business that wasn't watched as carefully as his more profitable businesses. After casing the business earlier that day he waited until night to act. He set off a few packs of firecrackers in the alley and waited until the cashier left to investigate. Acting quickly he grabbed all the money he could and ran out before the cashier came back.

Although the payoff was enough to cover what he needed, Finnick felt a sense of dread as he ran away. He shivered as he imagined being dunked over and over into the icy cold water until he was eventually dropped in. There were few things that got to the fox, but death by cold temperature is what all fennecs feared deep down.

As he kept driving down the road he passed a sign that said Bunny Burrow.

"Ok so he said right after the sigh it should be the yellow house with the…. Aha there it is"

Finnick pulled into the house with a delivery van in the driveway and looked at the house. The house itself was nothing special, just a 1 story rancher with a few lawn ornaments outside. Moving to the back of his van Finnick went threw a few boxes until he found what he was looking for.

"I can't believe I'm actually gonna wear these again" he said to himself as he got out his elephant costume and a disposable diaper.

After Nick had left, Finnick had thought about throwing away the suit Nick had gotten him for scamming. Every time he went to the trash holding it something would prevent him from tossing the babyish onesie away.

Finnick proceeded to strip down and diaper himself just like he learned to do for scams. With a deep sigh he pulled the soft onesie on him and stepped out of the van. Thankfully the onesie was warm so he didn't mind the autumn chill as much. After staring at the door for a solid minute he finally knocked.

"Comin" he heard yell back in country accent.

All of a sudden a nervous sensation went over Finnick's body as he heard the thumping of footsteps get closer to the door.

'Maybe theirs still time to back out' he thought.

However once he heard the locks being undone he realized he had reached the point of no return. All he could do at this point was look up, give his big cute eyes, and make his elephant sound.

*toot*

Finnick was taken away as the door opened and he looked up at the red fox. The picture that Gideon had sent him didn't do justice, as he could just tell by glancing that Gideon was much bigger than Nick. Gideon also had a much larger frame than Nick, making him look like a twig in comparison. One thing the picture did capture well was his warm smile as he smiled down at the little fox on his front porch.

"Awww. Looks like somebody left a lil kit on my porch. Come on in" said Gideon in a soft but welcoming tone.

Looking annoyed Finnick followed the larger fox into his home.

"Let me give ya the tour of mah humble abode" Gideon said in a slightly excited tone.

Following behind the larger fox, Finnick walked and listened to Gideon ramble about his house. The house itself was nothing special on the inside. It looked like the typical rancher house complete with an open kitchen and living room concept, a couple of bathrooms as well as bedrooms, and the wash room. As they walked down the hallway they stopped at the door at the very end of the hall.

"This used to be mah old room before my folks moved out, but for tonight it'll be yours" he said as he opened the door.

Stepping into the room the smaller fox was almost dumbfounded by what he saw. Overall the room was nothing special with its plain white walls, but what drew his eyesight was the crib that was set up near the wall. As he continued to scan the room he saw there was also an old looking rocking chair sitting in the corner and a portable table with a blanket on top set up along side the other wall.

"Yeah I went ahead and looked it up. Apparently the internet said fennecs weren't that big so I figured it'd be a perfect chance to set up mah old crib" said Gideon as Finnick gave him an angry glare

The larger fox just chuckled as he apologized for inadvertently calling him small.

"Well enough of that how about I get ya somethin to drink so ya can settle in. I bet you're thirsty after such a long drive"

Finnick waddled behind Gideon as they both entered the kitchen. He didn't notice at first but the diaper actually forced Finnick's legs to spread apart. Since most of the time he would just set in the stroller he never really noticed it before until now

"There ya go" Gideon said as he handed a cup to Finnick

Without looking at the cup Finnick took it and went to sit at the couch. Once he went to take a drink from it he felt a top on the cup. Looking at his hands he saw the cup had a weird funnel to it and that it was decorated in a light blue color.

As Gideon was putting the lemonade back in the fridge, he felt a tug at his pants. Looking down, he saw Finnick pointing at the cup and giving him look that said 'the hell is this'.

"Well I did tell ya there'd be cub stuff involved. At least give it a chance"

Not wanting their first meeting to turn sour so quickly, Finnick dropped the subject and returned to the couch. As he lied on the couch he slowly drank from the cup. Although he couldn't drink the liquid that fast, it wasn't so bad.

Finnick sat on the couch for what seemed like an hour waiting for the bigger fox to return.

'What is he doing' he thought to himself.

A few more minutes passed until he saw Gideon walking over to Finnick carrying some boxes.

"Sorry it took so long. I was hopein to find these before you got here but they were trickier to find than I thought" he said grinning as he sat the box in the middle of the floor.

Curious, Finnick hopped off the couch and walked over to where Gideon had placed the box. As Gideon sat down he opened the box and spun it towards Finnick so he could see what was in it. With a blank expression Finnick scanned what was in the box. The box was filled with a bunch of old baby toys such as blocks and a ring tower.

Finnick stared up at Gideon with an irritated and annoyed expression. Did he really expect Finnick to play with these?

*toot* *toot*

"Yes, Yes, I know it's not what you had in mind when coming up here. Like I said before at least give it a try" he said, to which he was still greeted with the same irritated look from the smaller one

"Well put it this way; what's the point of driving for 5 hours just to do the same thing ya'd usually do"

'He has a point' Finnick thought to himself.

It would have been a waste of time and gas just to drive up here and do the same old things. Why would he risk getting iced just to not do anything?

With a defeated sounding toot Finnick sat on the floor as Gideon passed him a toy. With each new toy Gideon gave him Finnick gave him the same irritated expression. At first he found them all to be boring and to babyish for him, but seeing as they'd be his only source for entertainment he began to play with them. For some odd reason he found them to be somewhat enjoyable, be it for their childlike charm. His favorite was using the spelling blocks to write out dirty words and seeing the bigger fox immaturely chuckle form it.

*ring ring*

"Be back in a minute my lil baby" said Gideon as he walked over to get the phone

Finnick just sat there as Gideon took care of whoever was on the phone. Apparently it must have been a somewhat important phone call as it seemed he was taking a long time to come back. As he kept playing a sudden sharp pain hit his bladder. The lemonade he had drunk earlier had finally worked its way through Finnick's system.

'Oh god I gotta piss' he said as he stood up and waddled to the bathroom

The pressure in his bladder was increasing as he got to the bathroom door. Unfortunately the knob was too high for the small fox; an unfortunate reality for mammals of his size. Finnick was now desperate as he clutched his crotch with both his paws. He heard a crinkle as he grabbed himself. He had completely forgotten that he was wearing a diaper.

For the first time ever Finnick was actually glad he was wearing one.

'Whatever I'll just change out of it later' Finnick thought to himself to justify using it

He never used one before, not even when we went hustling with Nick. It took all his effort to relax his muscles but he finally did and he was instantly relieved. The warm sensation was a bit uncomfortable as it spread over his crotch, but it was better than the pressure. With his current situation taken care of Finnick waddled back to his spot, except now he walk with a slight auditable squish sound.

After a few minutes of playing Gideon finally hug up the phone and went back to sit with Finnick

"Sorry I took so long, it just that mah fo.." Gideon said as he stopped mid sentence and sniffed the air

Suddenly Gideon had the warm smile on his face again as he looked at Finnick.

"I think someone needs his diaper changed" said Gideon in a cooing tone

Finnick looked shocked as he stated back at Gideon.

'HOW THE HELL DOES HE KNOW' Finnick thought to himself.

"Silly you can't hide that from mah sensitive nose" Gideon said gently pressing his nose against the smaller fox's chest

Gideon gently grabbed Finnick's paw as he tried to walk back with him to where Finnick would be sleeping.

'Oh my god does he actually want to change me!' he mentally screamed to himself

All the way Finnick did everything in his power to show he didn't want to be changed by Gideon. He squirmed, pushed at Gideon's paw, loudly tooted, and tugged in an effort to get away. As they reached the room Gideon grabbed Finnick by his armpits and sat him on the table. Gideon bent down to eye level and looked at Finnick. Instead of seeing his typical warm smile, it was now replaced with a stern no nonsense look.

"Now look. I'm not gonna let ya sit around all night in a wet diaper. I told you that I wanted to take care of you like a kit; can you at least let me try?" he said in a stern tone.

Finnick's ears drooped down as Gideon talked to him in his tone. Normally people didn't intimidate the fox, but there was something different with Gideon. As he looked back up Finnick slowly nodded in response.

"Good" Gideon said as his warm smile came back

Soon Finnick found himself lying on his back as the bigger fox started to undo the flaps on his onesie. Finnick just covered his eyes as he felt the tapes on his diaper being ripped off. His face turned bright red as he felt the wet diaper being removed and the cool air on his crotch.

Finnick mind raced about what was happening. He couldn't believe he was willingly exposing himself to another guy, let alone allowing him to change his diaper. His thoughts were broken as he felt the coldness of a wipe on his junk. Instinctively he tucked his tail grimly between his legs. This only caused Gideon to giggle as he gently moved it away.

"There ya go all done. See that wasn't so bad" Gideon said after re-diapering Finnick.

Without even looking at him, Finnick quickly waddled back to the couch and sat in it.

"Guess that's my cue to start dinner" said Gideon walking to the kitchen

'Dinner? Is it that late already?' Finnick thought to himself. He remembered his van's clock said he'd gotten there just a little after 12. Did he really get that distracted by playing with baby toys?

As Gideon prepared the meal Finnick just laid on the couch, not wanting to move much after his change. He heard a creak as Gideon called to him saying dinner was ready. Turning around, the small fox saw that Gideon has pulled out a high chair for Finnick to sit at. With the thought of that look still in his mind, Finnick just lifted his arms up and let Gideon put him it.

A bowl of spaghetti was placed in front of Finnick as Gideon just smiled and looked at him.

"Now do you want to eat by yourself or do you want me to feed you"

Without hesitating Finnick pointed at the fork Gideon was holding to let him know he'd be feeding himself. Gideon sat the fork in front of Finnick and pulled his hood down

"Maybe another time then" he replied

The meal was very quiet and awkward as the foxes ate in silence. The TV was off so there was no sound except the clangs and swallowing sounds coming from the 2 foxes. Once he was finished Gideon picked up his bowl and took it to the sink to be washed. As Finnick waited to be taken out of the chair Gideon went to fridge and took a pie.

"I think someone's ready for dessert" said Gideon as he showed Finnick the fresh pie.

Finnick could smell that it was apple pie, one of Finnick's favorites. Reaching towards the pie Gideon pulled it back as he grabbed at it.

"At at at. If you want some you have to let me feed it to you" Gideon said in a slightly mocking tone.

Finnick thought about Gideon's proposition for a moment. He didn't notice the fork full of pie until Gideon slipped it into his mouth. Immediately Finnick's ears went strait up and his eyes widened in delight. It was one of the best pies Finnick had ever had. Swallowing the piece he had Finnick opened his mouth and made noises signaling for more.

As he started feeding Finnick Gideon spoke

"Ya know I've been thinkin and I don't think lil baby is a good nickname for you. How about you be my lil apple fritter instead"

Finnick nodded not even caring about what the fox said and only wanting more pie.

A few more pieces were shoveled into his mouth as he made sounds of enjoyment with each bite. Soon the pie stopped coming as Finnick was picked up and carried over to the couch with Gideon so they could watch TV.

'Oh god he's gonna make me watch baby shows isn't he?' Finnick thought to himself as Gideon turned the TV on.

To Finnick's relief Gideon flipped it over to the news. He just looked over to Finnick and said "Yeah I really don't care for those little kid shows. Ya don't mind do ya?" to which Finnick shook his head.

The night went by fast after dinner. When they first sat on the couch Finnick had taken the spot at the other end, but near the end of the night he found his head on Gideon's lap. Letting out a tired sounding yawn Finnick just nuzzles his head on Gideon's lap, too tired to care.

He felt Gideon gently pet his head

"Want me to give you a bath before bed" he said with a gentle smile

Finnick just weakly shook his head no as Gideon picked him up.

"Hehe ok then" Gideon chuckled as he turned off the TV and put Finnick in his arms.

As he walked back to his old bedroom Gideon couldn't help but notice how cute the sleepy fox looked in his arms. He went to the closet in his old room and placed a pacifier in Finnick's mouth with no resistance.

"Goodnight apple fritter" Gideon said in a quiet tone as he placed the fox in his old crib.

Thankfully the crib was more than big enough for the fox as he turned on his side and snuggled with the small pillow in the crib. Once he heard the door shut Finnick suckled on his pacifier. The soothing sensation was too much for him though as he quickly fell asleep.

Morning came and the sun shined right on Finnick's face causing him to gently wake up. With his vision still blurry he looked around the room and found that Gideon was looking down at him.

"Good morning" he said as he picked the fox up

Groggily Finnick just let Gideon carry him over to the high chair. Soon a sippy cup filled with juice and some oatmeal was placed in front of him. The rest of the morning was uneventful as Gideon, still in his pajamas, sat quietly and ate as the news played in the background.

After breakfast was over Finnick was placed back on the ground.

"I'm gonna hop in the shower, go ahead and do whatever you want til I get back" Gideon said leaving the smaller fox to his own accords.

Finnick just walked around the house bored. His sensitive ears heard the water running as he passed Gideon's room. Soon he was back in the kitchen looking for that pie from last night. As he was looking his sight was drawn to a $20 bill sitting on the table

"Welp now I got lunch for tomorrow" he quietly muttered to himself as he snagged the money off the table and quickly stuffed it down into his diaper

"Aah that feels better" said Gideon out loud walking towards the living room.

Finnick just sat there with an innocent look on his face, a trick he picked up from working with Nick. Another hour passed and Finnick and Gideon were outside as he was preparing to leave.

"So now that it's over what do you think?" Gideon said.

"W…well to be honest I kinda liked it a….and I'd really like to do it again" said Finnick in his deep voice.

For a moment, he saw that Gideon had a dumb founded look on his face. Gideon would have never thought he'd hear such a deep voice from a little fox. This didn't last long however as he went back to smiling his warm smile at the smaller fox.

"Well that's good to hear I had fun too. Next time though I'd like to take care of you more" he said as he winked to Finnick.

As Gideon went back into his house Finnick went to start up his van. However as he looked in his mirror he saw Gideon running at him with something in his paws.

"Hold up their apple fritter I got somethin for ya"

As Gideon got closer Finnick saw that it was the pie from last night wrapped in plastic wrap.

"A lil somethin to snack on, just don't go eatin it all in one go or else you'll get a tummy ache" said Gideon as he handed the pie to Finnick.

"T..thanks" Finnick said as a wave of guilt went over his body.

Placing the pie in a freezer bag Finnick started his van. As he was pulling out he saw that Gideon was waving at him in his rear view. Still feeling guilty Finnick ignored him as he pulled out of the driveway and drove back to the city: feeling the money rub up against him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for taking so long to upload the next chapter. To be honest I kinda just forgot about it :) Anyway here's a new chapter for ya**

After their first meeting had gone over so well Finnick and Gideon now messaged each other every day and night. Sitting in his van, Finnick waited for a reply from Gideon, as he snuggled deeper into in pile of blankets in order to keep warm.

Winter time in the city was something unlike the other season. Compared to fall, which only affected a few districts, winter had an effect on almost every part of the city. The desert would have occasional snowstorms, the Rainforest District would actually be less humid and the vegetation stopped growing, Little Rodentia was in a constant state of emergency as snowflakes were like boulders to the mice, and so on. No matter which district you were in though there was one constant: IT WAS COLD!

Finnick always hated winter, not just because it was cold, but that the cold actually made him move and react more slowly than normal. Thus it made it nearly impossible to pull off hustles alone in this weather. Money was even tighter for the fox which meant he couldn't afford to keep the heater on in his van, keeping him at his slowest nearly all the time. As the fox huddled deeper in the blankets, his hands were clutched to the phone as he texted away.

 **SandDemon:** _God I hate the cold it feels like I've got weights on my hands and legs_

 **Honestman:** _You could always lay on daddy's belly if you're cold :)_

 **SandDemon:** _Whatever :p_

 **Honestman:** _Anyway I'm sorry that I couldn't invite you over for Christmas. I really did want you over but my parents were coming to visit and you know_

 **SandDemon:** _dude its fine I completely understand you don't have to apologize for it_

Even though it was over a month ago, Finnick still felt completely guilty for taking the money that Gideon had left on the table. Every time they texted he would be reminded of the $20. It was the first time in his life that Finnick actually felt bad for taking something that wasn't his. Gideon had been nice enough to invite Finnick over and he repaid his kindness by stealing from him. It seems as though Gideon hadn't even noticed the money was gone, making Finnick feel even worse.

 **Honestman:** _Well hopefully you got to spend time with your folks and whatnot._

 **SandDemon:** _yeah my family_

 **Honestman:** _What are they like?_

 **SandDemon:** _I'd rather not discuss my family_

 **Honestman:** _Oh ok I'm sorry_

 **SandDemon:** _It's ok_

 **Honestman:** _Well anyway since you couldn't come over for Christmas would you like to come over for New Years Eve? I know it's kinda short notice with it only 2 days away but I'd like to hang out with you._

Like the last time Gideon invited Finnick over, the small fox froze and stared at his phone's screen. His current cold weather scams were barely giving him enough money to eat, let alone travel. Stealing from Mr. Big was definitely out of the question for now as Tundra Town was completely inhospitable for Finnick.

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt something hit his paw. As he looked down he saw a white envelope, the kind that Nick would always slip in his van.

"ok, THAT'S IT" Finnick angrily yelled as he used all his energy to run and open his van door

"GET OUT HERE WILDE I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!" he screamed waiting for the red fox to pop out. He tuned in his ears trying to hear him but Nick had learned how to avoid Finnick's freakishly sensitive hearing over the years.

"I DON'T NEED YOU'RE PITTY, I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!" he screamed again with no result

As he waited for Nick to show up he felt a bone chilling breeze blow into the van. Red foxes were better at dealing with the cold than fennecs were: so Nick would win this little waiting game. Inhaling, Finnick let out one more yell

"I DON'T NEED YOU. I DON'T NEED ANYBODY. I'VE NEVER NEEDED ANYBODY!"

And with that said Finnick slammed his door shut. Teeth exposed, hair stand up on his back and claws out, Finnick walked over to what triggered his rage.

"Smug dumbass motherfucker thinks he's better than me. I'LL SHOW HIM!"

Grabbing the envelope Finnick slashed it with his claw spilling out all the contents of it. Claws still out and teeth exposed, he proceeded to shred it to pieces just to get out some of his anger. Looking at the pile of Nick's pictures Finnick screamed and pounced at it like a wild animal. He snarled and growled shredded all the pictures of the red fox sending chunks flying everywhere.

With all the old pictures destroyed the small rage filled fox turned his war path to the new picture Nick had sent him. Grabbing it and the money Finnick was about to shred those as well, however at the last second he noticed something different. Looking at it Finnick saw that this time it wasn't just Nick but Nick and Judy taking a selfie together. At the very bottom written in cursive it said 'Merry (late) Christmas Mini-me, Love Nick and Judy'.

Looking at thepicture, Finnick's rage subsided and his hair went back to normal. Moving the picture Finnick decided to look at the money to which he was shocked at what he saw. Nick hadn't given him the usual $60 but instead it was $500. With that much extra money Finnick had enough to drive to Gideon's place AND have money left over.

Staring for a few more seconds Finnick threw the picture into the pile of shredded ones

"Smug Bastards"

Faintly he heard the buzz of his phone's vibrator. Burrowing back into the blankets Finnick scrambled to find his phone again.

 **Honestman:** _Sorry to seem impatient but I just want to know what you're planning to do._

 **SandDemon:** _My bad I was making sure I had enough money to drive down. And yes I do and yes I will be over.._

 **Honestman:** _That's great. I can't wait til than, just make sure to wear a diaper again Mr. Piddles_

 **SandDemon:** _Fuck you_

New Years Eve arrived faster than Finnick had anticipated. Traffic took longer than he thought to get through due to the New Years Bash the city healed. By the time he got out it was already past 12. As Finnick had his heater blaring he noticed how much the landscape had changed since last time. Gone was the sea of orange and yellow which was replaced with a baron husks that used to be trees. Something about seeing the scenery so empty made it feel much colder.

Instead of his mind wondering off like it did the last drive, this drive he kept thinking back to him stealing the money from his friend. His mind kept racing with different things the bigger fox would do to him if he found out. Would Gideon beat him to a bloody pulp? Would he decide to take a bite out of the smaller fox? Would Gideon decide to hate him and never talk to him again? It was driving the small fox crazy with guilt just wondering what he would do.

It was 7 at night as Finnick approached the burrow and it was pitch black outside. He soon passed the Bunny Burrow sign as he went by different decorated houses until reaching Gideon's. He saw that the larger fox had decided to put up some Christmas lights for decoration. Christmas lights weren't a common site in the city as most places only had a single string up at the most for decoration. Finnick just sat in his van for a few minutes staring at the lights blinking in the dark.

He soon snapped out of it when he felt the cold creep into his van. Quickly diapering himself he put his ele suit on and waddled to the door, shivering from the cold as he knocked.

Gideon soon opened the door and looked down at the shivering fox at his feet.

"Oh my you must be freezing, get you're diapered butt in here" he said while smiling and motioning for Finnick to enter.

Entering his house Finnick saw that it was still decorated for Christmas. Gideon had the nativity scene set up on the mantle of the fireplace, stocking still hung by the chimney, the tree setting in the corner of the room, and other various Christmas decorations. It'd been a long time since Finnick had been in a house this decorated for Christmas. The closest that he got was that one time Nick set up a little fake tree in his apartment.

Finnick felt a light pat on his back as he looked up to Gideon

"I gotcha a somethin to drink Apple Fritter" Gideon said handing Finnick the cup

Finnick was dumbfounded this time; for this time it wasn't a sippy cup that Gideon had given him but a real baby bottle. The small fox shook his head no refusing to drink from the bottle. A sippy cup was one thing but actually sucking from a bottle was too much for the fox.

Gideon just chuckled as he put the bottle on the table "Alright then, guess you're not thirsty"

Gideon told Finnick that he needed to finish the dishes and said to just sit and relax. As Finnick sat on the couch he couldn't help but admiring the Christmas tree. He loved seeing all the ornament and how cool they looked. Turning on the TV Finnick flipped to the news station where they were broadcasting the New Years Eve party from Zootopia. It made Finnick a little regretful about coming instead of staying for the New Years party, especially since he heard that Snoop Lion would be performing a live concert in Sahara Square.

Hearing the water shut off, Finnick heard Gideon's footsteps as he approached the couch. Gideon took Finnick by surprise as he put his paws over Finnick's eyes.

"Keep you're eyes shut I have a surprise for you" he said in a happy excited tone.

Playing along Finnick shut his eyes as he heard the bigger fox move around.

"Ok ya can open em now" Gideon said

Open his eyes, Finnick saw that the fox was holding 2 wrapped presents in front of him

"Merry Christmas" Gideon said excitedly as he watched Finnick's surprised expression

Slowly taking the items he stared at them for a minute. Finnick rarely ever got presents like this. In fact, the money that Nick and Judy had given him was the first one he'd gotten in years. And now this guy he only knew for a few months was giving him something.

"Well don't just stare at em, open em" said Gideon

Finnick started with the smaller package. As he ripped open the wrapping paper he saw it was a small box. Un-sealing the tape, Finnick saw that it was a light blue pacifier. Looking back up at Gideon he saw that the fox was happily grinning as he saw Finnick's reaction.

"Well go on, ya got one more"

As he started opening the other package, Finnick just figured it was another baby thing.

'Don't know what he's so exited about. Probably just gonna be a rattle or something stupid like that'

But to his surprise he saw it wasn't a baby thing at all, it was a battery bank. Not just any batter bank either it was one of the most expensive ones you could buy that held a charge for like 50 hours. Finnick no longer had to sit out in the cold and keep an eye on the phone anymore, he could just sit in his blankets and charge it. As Finnick held his present in his hand he looked up at Gideon who was smiling warmly at him.

"Well do ya like em" he said

Suddenly a huge wave of guilt hit the little fox as he thought back to the money he took. He felt ashamed now that Gideon had given him such nice gifts. Finnick hadn't even considered getting him anything. The only thing that Finnick ever did in return was steal from him. Completely ashamed of himself, Finnick's eyes started to water up uncontrollably

"Aww it's ok Apple Fritter, you didn't have to get me anything" Gideon said as he figured the little one was upset about not getting him something.

Finnick couldn't take it anymore. In one swift motion he hopped off the couch and ran to the door.

"What's wrong Finnick" said Gideon in a concerned tone.

Finnick ran to his van and grabbed a $20 from the money Nick had given him. With his hood off and tears in his eyes he threw the money on the ground in front of Gideon

"I'm sorry. I took this from you the last time I came here. Please don't hate me" Finnick pleaded as he had his head down and his eyes shut tight, bracing to be hit.

Waiting for Gideon to respond felt like an eternity for the little fox. The whole time he kept his eyes shut as tight as he could just wanting Gideon to get it over with. This wasn't new for the fox, being hit after being caught; however this was the first time that Finnick willingly admitted to stealing from someone.

Finnick felt the bigger fox grab him by the armpits as he was carried somewhere. Gideon sat down and placed the small fox on his knee.

'This is it!' he thought to himself.

What happened next was something Finnick never expected. Gideon hit the small fox on the head. However the hit wasn't so much a hit, but rather gentle pats. He then felt his head fur get ruffled up as he heard chuckling. Opening his eyes he looked up the Gideon as he just looked down at Finnick and gave him a warm loving smile.

"Silly lil Apple Fritter I left that money out for you" he said

"W…what?" said Finnick in confusion

"When you told my how long you'd have to drive I felt bad so I left some gas money out for you. I just figured you knew what I was doin so I didn't say anything" Gideon said in a reassuring tone.

As Gideon explained himself the smaller fox started to relax some.

"So you're not gonna hit me?" he said

"NO…. Of course not" Gideon replied in a gentle tone as he gently pet Finnick behind his ears.

Finnick let out a sigh of relief realizing that the whole situation was just a giant misunderstanding. Wiping the moisture from his eyes, he looked up and smiled back at Gideon.

"But I am gonna have to punish you for speaking without permission" he said as he smiled at Finnick

Almost immediately Finnick's ears drooped back down and he became worried again.

Picking Finnick up, Gideon cradled him in his arms as he grabbed the bottle of juice he offered Finnick earlier. Walking to the couch he rocked Finnick and explained his punishment

"How about this." He said "For your punishment you have to let me take care of you more from now on like feeding you and letting me carry you. Sound fair?"

As he explained what the punishment would be he took the bottle and put the nipple in front of Finnick's mouth. Without a single word Finnick just put the nipple part in his mouth and began to suckle.

"Good kit" Gideon cooed

As the two sat in silence Gideon just happily looked down at the smaller fox he was bottle-feeding. Unbeknown to the two in the house, they were about to have a secret audience.

"Remind me again why I decided to come with you Carrots?"

"Well it's because I convinced Bogo to give us both New Years off. Plus you've never been to a bunny's New Years bash."

Nick and Judy wondered down the decedent road of the Burrows as they talked. After the Night Howler case the two became very close friends doing almost everything with each other. Recently work had prevented the two from hanging out for a few months. After chatting with Bogo, Judy had convinced Nick to go with her to her parent's place for New Years.

"No I meant why did we decide to take a walk in this freezing weather?" Nick said rubbing his arms

"Every one needs time to set up before the ball drops in Sahara Square and a few less bodies around makes a world of difference to a bunny" she explained. "And I was getting sick of all the bad jokes you and my dad kept telling"

"You know you love them cottontail" replied Nick as Judy jokingly hit him in the arm.

The unlikely duo continued their walk down the deserted road admiring the Christmas lights people had on. Before they passed another house Judy put her arm in front of Nick causing him to stop.

"Hang on a minute….I think that's Finnick's van" Judy stated as she focused in on his friends van.

"Yeah you're right, I'd recognize that mural anywhere" he responded.

The two quietly approached the van and looked inside. Sure enough it was Finnick's van; Nick could recognize that shag carpeting from anywhere

"What's Finnick doing all the way out here" said the fox in a puzzled tone.

As Nick looked at the van, Judy looked at the house and saw one of the foxes sitting on the couch.

"Wait a minute, this is Gideon's place" said Judy

With a silent nod both the fox and the rabbit quietly approached the window to see what was going on. What they saw was nothing they could have imagined. Looking in, they saw Finnick wearing his elephant costume as he was drinking from a baby bottle held by Gideon. In shock, Judy put her paws over her mouth as she turned red.

"Is he….is he actually bottle-feeding your old friend!?" she quietly murmured

Nick in turn put his paws over his mouth in an attempt to contain his laughter. As the two watched Nick fumbled to get his phone out as he snickered

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING" Judy yelled in a whisper

"This is too perfect I've GOT to take pictures" he whispered back with an excited grin and a swishing tail

"It's actually kinda cute in a weird way" Judy said silently

The rest of the night was uneventful for Finnick and Gideon. Unaware of their secret audience, the two inside the house just carried on. The two on the outside just continued to watch as Nick got plenty of pictures. Realizing they had spent over an hour watching the two foxes Nick and Judy decided to leave with the new info they learned about Finnick.

The final countdown started as Gideon rushed to get his Champaign. Holding a glass he rushed and handed another bottle to Finnick.

'Figures he wouldn't give me Champaign' he thought

A few seconds later the TV blared and yelled Happy New Year. Sucking on his bottle Finnick tasted the bitter sweet flavor of Champaign. Looking up, Gideon just smiled at him.

"It'll be out little secret" he said winking at the small fox.

As the night drew to a close Finnick sleepily laid his head on the arm of the couch, happy that he decided to come and spend New Years with Gideon.


	5. Chapter 5

**And to celebrate me hitting the 1000th view mark :)**

 **Seriously though it makes me happy that so many people actually looked at/read my story. Especially the people who commented and watched the story and stuff. Sorry if this chapter seems a bit short I'm not too good at drawing things out**

 _He was in the weird place again. He tried to move but he felt something hard blocking his path. He could tell that it was the same area as the other times he came but something was different. In the background he heard what sounded like crying. Soon one of the masses from before came over to him and gently touched him on his head. He heard the figure speak "please don't hate me little guy" as it turned around and walked out. For some reason he started crying too as the crying in the background got louder._

Finnick awoke from his dream shaken up. For some reason this dream was different form the usual ones with the two figures. And for some reason this dream had more of an emotional impact.

Finnick was on the verge of tears. He had no idea how to process what had just happened

"What the hell does it mean" he said to himself.

Using all his emotional strength he held back his crying and instead curled up into a ball as he began to shake. He was too distracted to notice the door opening as Gideon came in holding a bottle. Walking over, Gideon hummed to himself as he saw the small one curled up.

"Good morning my litt-OH MY GOD!" Gideon exclaimed dropping the bottle

He could tell that something was wrong with Finnick just by the worried look on his face. Scooping him up, Gideon walked over to the rocking chair and sat down.

"Finnick what's wrong!" he said, to concerned with Finnick's well being to use nicknames

"I…..I don't know" Finnick responded in a sad sounding tone.

Knowing that Finnick probably couldn't explain anything right now, Gideon just dropped the subject as he tried comforting the fox. Gideon rocked him for a few minutes but it didn't seem to do anything. The fox's shaking only seemed to be getting worse as he stayed balled up. Leaning back on the rocker Gideon suddenly remembered what his mom would do when he was little. Shifting Finnick up on his chest, Gideon held him close as he started to gently lick him on his head.

His mom had told him their ancestors used to lick their kits whenever they became upset. The gentle licking combined with Gideon's soothing rhythmic heartbeat seemed to do the trick. Slowly Finnick's shaking got less and less violent until it completely stopped. The two stayed like that for a few more minute as Finnick un-balled.

"Feeling better?" said Gideon

"Y…yeah" he replied

"Good" said the bigger fox now holding Finnick by his armpits.

"Now lets get you changed" he said as he got close to Finnick's ear and whispered "I don't need mah sensitive nose to smell that"

Finnick's face instantly turned bright red. In horror, he looked down at the front of his onesie only to find he had made a giant wet spot on it. Gideon sat Finnick down on the table as he got the wipes out.

*squish*

The diaper let out an audible noise as it clung to Finnick's body. After stripping Finnick down he saw that the front of his diaper was completely soaked. Ashamed of involuntarily using his diaper, Finnick hung his head down blushing.

"Heeey it's ok" Gideon cooed "It happens"

Laying the small fox on his back Gideon gently tickled Finnick's foot paw in an attempt to cheer him up. Although it wasn't as traumatic as the last time Gideon changed him Finnick looked up at the ceiling to avoid eye contact.

Gideon went to work ripping off the old diaper and wiping the small fox. While cleaning up Finnick's little accident Gideon started to talk.

"Luckily I haven't started mah laundry yet so I can just add your stuff to the wash"

'Laundry? He knows I gotta leave soon'

"I don't think you're gonna have to worry about leave anytime today" he cheerily said.

Confused, Finnick peaked around the red fox and looked out the window. It took his eyes a few minutes to adjust but when they did he saw that it was snowing.

"Yup. First snow of the new year" Gideon said, taping a new diaper on Finnick

Finnick poked at the new thick diaper between his legs. This new diaper Gideon had put on him was much thicker than his other ones. It also had a more babyish design to it with little bunnies playing on the front.

"Don't want ya have another leak"

Finnick just gave Gideon and angry glair while waiting to be dressed. Lifting his arms up, he motioned for Gideon to put something on him.

"Aww I'm sorry but I don't have any clothes for you. You're gonna have to be in just a diapee for today"

'WHAT!'

Every time Finnick acted like a baby he at least was able to do it in the comfort of his suit. This would be the first time that Finnick would have to act little without his suit on. The thought of losing his buffer made him slightly uncomfortable. Would he still be able to act like a child with Gideon seeing his real face?

"Don't be mad" the big fox said while picking up Finnick and carrying him to the window "Here let me show you my favorite part of winter"

Looking out the window Finnick got a clearer view of the snow. In just a few hours the snow had completely covered the baron burrow with a clean white blanket. Finnick just stared as he admired how the snow looked. Snow was more of a nuisance in the city as trucked scrambled to find places to dump it. Out here the snow looked nice being completely untouched by snowplows.

Gideon hummed as he placed Finnick in the high chair as he started breakfast. He let Finnick watch the news as he cooked but all they were talking about was the freak snow storm that happened.

"There ya go some nice fresh pancakes"

Gideon sat near Finnick as he cut up his meal and fed it to him. The small fox just let him do it since Gideon seemed to like it. One finished Gideon put Finnick on the ground as he ate and got the laundry started. The new thicker diaper made walking even harder for Finnick as he waddled and crinkled all the way to the couch.

Try to find something to do Finnick flipped through the channels but found nothing interesting, as it was still too early for anything good to be on. All the channels were showing were reruns of old shows and kid cartoons, which he refused to watch. He really didn't feel like playing with the toys again and he had left his phone in the van; which was out of the question due to the snow and cold. Completely bored Finnick just lied on the couch and poked at his diaper.

Gideon, who was now done with the laundry, came back into the den sat next to Finnick. It didn't take him long to see how bored Finnick was as he saw him just idly poking at the diaper.

"Hey I got an idea" Gideon said excitedly

"Let's make a pie"

Without warning he scooped Finnick up and took him into the kitchen. Happily he sat the smaller fox on the countertop. Gathering the ingredients, he placed eggs and a flour bag in front of Finnick while putting on a pink striped apron.

"Go ahead and break those open for me while I start on the fillin"

It was hard for Finnick to break the eggs while sitting. He was able to break them, but he got a bunch of goo on his arms and paws. Gideon instructed him to measure out flour, which was even harder to do sitting down. The flour was even messier than the eggs as each spoonful into the measuring cup sent flour dust flying all over Finnick's fur. All the while Gideon was busy chopping up apples for the pie. Not wanting to be stuck doing menial job, Finnick motioned to Gideon that he wanted to cut the apples.

"Don't wantcha to cut yourself" Gideon said winking.

Collecting the eggs and flour Gideon went to work making the dough. The whole time he kept humming the baker man song. As Gideon finished the filling he went from humming the song to singing it.

"Baker man, bake me a pie as fast as you can; pat it and shape and mark it with a B, and put it in the oven foooor" he sang cheerfully as he put his snout on Finnick's belly.

Annoyed that Gideon was making him do simple jobs, Finnick came up with a revenge plan. Slowly he put his paws behind him and grabbed pawfulls of flour. In an instant, he swung his paws up and gently hit them on the sides of Gideon's face

*PPPPPFFFFFFHHHTTTTT*

His action sent flour flying everywhere and when the dust finally settled Finnick had left two small paw prints on Gideon's flour covered face.

"Silly little apple fritter. That's not how it goes" Gideon happily said while picking Finnick up "It's for BABY and me"

As he placed Finnick in his paw, Gideon used his free paw to tickle Finnick's belly. Bursting out if babyish sounding squeals Finnick laughed and squirmed at the tickle assault on his belly.

The pie was soon put into the oven as the two flour covered foxes looked at each other. Finnick smirked in triumph still seeing his paw marks on Gideon's face.

"Now's a good time for a bath" said Gideon

Finnick still felt uneasy about letting Gideon bathe him. Changing his diaper was already enough for the fox; He really didn't want to feel completely helpless by letting someone else clean him. Looking up at the bigger fox, Finnick shook his head no.

"I know that's a little more private" he said, walking to the bathroom with the fox

Placing Finnick on the toilet lid Gideon went into the closet getting a washrag

"Let's compromise. I'll just use a washrag to clean you. I promise not to take off your diaper"

Knowing that he needed to be cleaned up Finnick just nodded and let Gideon do his job.

'God this feels weird' he thought to himself.

It didn't take long for Gideon to finish as he then cleaned himself up and went back to the couch. Boredom set in again as the snow continued to fall outside. Finding himself in the same situation as that morning, Finnick sat on the couch bored. Sitting there with Gideon on the couch the two were silent for a few minutes.

"Sooo" Gideon said as he broke the silence

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Finnick turned to the fox and nodded

"What made you get into the whole adult cub thing?"

Not knowing what to say, Finnick scrambled to thing of something.

"It's ok, you can talk" said Gideon

"Uuum" Finnick started "I guess it's something to help relax. You know how hard life can be"

The bigger fox nodded in response. He could tell that the smaller one was holding something back but brushed it off. If the small one was willing to at least open up to him a little bit it'd be fine for now.

"Yeah I know whatcha mean."

"What about you?" said Finnick

"Well when I was little I was a monster to all the kids in the burrows. I guess for me it's a way to make up for that by taking care of others." Gideon explained "I'm also not the marrying type so it's a way for me to share my love with little ones."

Finnick slightly blushed hearing Gideon's last explanation. Before either of them could go into anymore detail the laundry beeped. Getting up, Gideon left the small fox to go tend to the wash. As he waited he let out a tired yawn. Figuring it'd be a good time for a nap Finnick curled into a ball and went to sleep.

As a cold chill blew through the house, it was enough to wake Finnick up. He saw that he was no longer on the couch but on blanket in front of a lit fireplace.

'Guess he must have gotten cold'

Finnick wasn't complaining though as he enjoyed the warmth of the fire. Looking around Finnick didn't see any trace of the red fox. Getting up he decided to look for him. He checked every room but still nothing. He did find his ele onesie hanging up to dry but that was about it. Walking back to the den his ears picked up a scraping sound. As he walked to the window to investigate he saw that it was Gideon digging out his van from the snow.

'Guess I must have been out longer than I thought' he thought to himself, seeing that the snow had stopped

Finnick figured he's just watch the fox shovel as he sat down on the window sill. Every now and again Gideon would look over and wave at him; To Gideon, Finnick looked like a baby watching him through the window.

With his job finished, Gideon knocked off the excess snow from his coat and went back inside. Finnick walked up to Gideon who was stripping off his winter clothing. It would have taken the small fox a full day to clear that much snow and Gideon did it in an hour. Not knowing any other way to thank Gideon, Finnick just hugged the big one's cold leg which caused him to shiver.

"Aww you're welcome Apple Fritter" he said "Let me change and I'll make us come cocoa"

After changing into pajamas Gideon made hot cocoa for the two of them. Sitting with Finnick in front of the fire, he picked him up and cradled him again in his arms holding a bottle of cocoa near his mouth. Like last tine Finnick silently put the tip in his mouth and began to suckle. The warmth of the cocoa combined with the fire felt nice to the small fox as he instinctively snuggled closer to Gideon. This caused the big one smile as he gently started to rock him.

The rest of the day was uneventful. The two just lounged around the house and tried to entertain themselves. Snowplows eventually came around 2 so Finnick could leave the next morning if he wanted. As the day came to a close Gideon found Finnick a warm blanket to sleep with since he was still in just a diaper.

"Goodnight" Gideon said as he turned off the light.

Burrowing deep into the blanket, Finnick got nice and comfortable. As he looked out the window he could see the faint glow of the city on the horizon. He laid his head down and went to sleep, happy to be in such a warm place.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok finally getting around to posting chapter 6 here. Sorry it took me so long I've been kinda addicted to Overwatch for a while plus another project took my attention away from here. Anyway here's the story.**

Once he got back to the city, the first thing Finnick did was bought a special coat design to keep fennecs warm in the cold. It was a little pricy but with the extra money that Nick had given him there was more then enough. He thought of it as a long term investment, as the suit kept him warm enough to move regularly.

Over the next few months Finnick went back to his normal routine of stealing what he could. The coat made it easier for him to run as he targeted other warm climate animals. It made the fox feel cockier than usual, so much so that he decided to start targeting Mr. Big's stores for more cash.

Before he left Gideon's place after the first snowstorm he talked with him and asked if he could come over more. To Finnick's delight the fox happily said yes and they agreed that he'd visit every other weekend when able. This, however, meant that Finnick had to up his game and get more cash to afford travel. Finnick was always careful when dealing with Mr. Big's businesses. He's never hit the same store twice in the same month or if it had the same cashier from before. Parking his van away from all the cameras in the store Finnick would use the same trick with the fireworks. It paid off for Finnick as he was getting more than enough money now for food and gas.

Even though he was stealing plenty of money now, Finnick still found Nick's envelopes every month in his van. All throughout the winter months there would be a new letter for Finnick. After Nick sent his the latest one Finnick finally had enough and took to his phone.

Finnick: _Ok Nick seriously stop this time. I've_

 _got money now, I'm not a chairy case,_

 _just stop. I'm serious_

Nick: _Ok if that's how you feel than I'll stop_

For what seemed like a never ending winter, the snow finally began to melt around March. Keeping true to his work Finnick hadn't gotten any of Nick's "presents" for the last few months.

It was now mid May and Finnick could finally more normally again. The weekend was coming up and to recharge his money reserve he decided to pick one of case another of Mr. Big's businesses. With money in hand Finnick was ready to leave Friday afternoon. Timing wasn't on his side though as he decided to leave the same day that Gazelle was going to be holding one of her concerts. Traffic was a nightmare: the entire afternoon was spent inching his way to the city gates. It wasn't til 9 when Finnick got to the burrows.

Dawning his suit on the unusually humid night Finnick knocked on Gideon's door.

"I hope he's still awake" he muttered to himself

As the doorknob turned Finnick looked up to great the large fox. However when he saw him he immediately blushed as he saw Gideon was only wearing his boxers.

"Oh I'm sorry I though ya was comin tomorrow morning" he said chuckling

As he entered the house Finnick felt it was even more humid inside than outside. Before he could take another step he felt the hood of his suit get pulled off and the rest of the outfit shimmied down him; leaving him in only his babyish diaper.

"I think it's a little to hot to be wearing this" said Gideon as he folded the suit up

Finnick blushed as the bigger one went to get him a drink. After what happened on New Years Day Gideon had given Finnick the box of thicker diapers he had and told him to start wearing those. He didn't mind though, they were free plus they felt nicer to wear.

Gideon scooped Finnick up and took him to the couch to bottle feed him. Happily smiling, Finnick lied back in Gideon's arms and motioned for the bottle. Strangely enough Finnick found that he really liked being bottle fed.

"If the weather holds out I have a little plan for us tomorrow"

With the bottle finished it was now time for bed. Gideon put Finnick in the bed as he opened up a window.

"Night Apple Fritter" he said as he turned off the lights.

Laying his head down Finnick couldn't help but notice how much quieter it was out here than in the city.

Morning came as Finnick was awoken by the sound of chirping birds. Keeping his eyes shut he groggily rubbed his face. The crib felt warmer than usual which the fox just brushes off at first; that is until he started to hear humming. Slowly opening his eyes he was greeted to the site of Gideon's warm smile.

"Good morning" said the fox as he rocked Finnick

Finnick couldn't believe that Gideon actually picked him up while he was asleep. As he became more aware Gideon sat Finnick down on the table and changed him.

"Got a big day ahead of us"

Gideon went over and got out some regular looking childlike clothes. To Finnick's surprise they actually fit him.

"I took a peak at your suits tag the last time you were here"

Walking into the kitchen Finnick noticed a blue diaper bag on the table. Throughout breakfast Finnick kept looking at the bag wondering what the fox had in mind. Once done Gideon put the strap over his shoulder.

"Alright lets get goin" he said as he grabbed Finnick's paw

Finnick tugged at his hand as they were heading out the door. He had put up with a lot with the diaper changes and bottle feeding but for him to actually suggest they go in public was obscured.

"Don't be like that. It's WAY to nice of a day to be cooped up inside all day."

Acting like a baby in public for money was one thing, but to do it just for fun was another. Finnick was terrified someone would find out. Tugging harder he backed up and tried to break Gideon's grip. Gideon stopped and got down on his knee.

"Do you trust me?"

Trust. Trust was a concept that Finnick had very little experience with. What he considered "trust" was to let somebody sleepover and not have everything stolen when he woke up.

'Do I really trust him?' he thought

Thinking it over for a minute Finnick slowly nodded to the big fox.

"Then just try this with me. I gotta feelin that you're gonna like it"

And with that said the two were outside. Opening the garage door Finnick saw a pickup truck. As he sat Finnick in, he was surprised to see that Gideon actually had installed a car seat for Finnick.

Driving down the road was a lot different in the day. Unlike when he drove down at night The Burrows were alive with people moving about. The nice weather probably motivated more people to come out and tend to their farms and whatnot. This was all to Finnick's dismay as he slouched down in an attempt to avoid being seen. Reaching over to Finnick, Gideon gently rubbed his head

"Not much longer til we get there" he said in a reassuring tone.

Making there way away from the more populated areas of the borrow Gideon drove to what appeared to be a forest. Parking the car he grabbed the diaper bag and helped Finnick out of his seat.

"These used to be my old stompin grounds when I was little"

Gideon's day plan apparently involved hiking as Finnick trailed behind the big fox. They kept walking for what seemed like hours. In his mind Finnick was wondering why they bothered to come. The trees at least offered some shade for the two; it was even getting a little hot for the Finnick.

"We're here" Gideon said.

All the walking amounted to Gideon showing Finnick wide stream that ran through the woods. With a displeased look Finnick gave Gideon a grumpy grown as he glared.

"I know it's not much to look at, but it's a lot more fun when you get in it"

Gideon smiled at Finnick and started to strip him down. It didn't take long for Gideon to strip Finnick down to just his diaper. Finnick was completely embarrassed now as it was the first time he was ever out in public in just a diaper. Using both his paws he covered the front of the diaper in an attempt to hide it.

"Silly, there's nobody around to see ya diapee" said Gideon while picking Finnick up

Gently putting Finnick in the water Gideon sat next to the creek's little ravine. The water felt cool to the fennec as it ran over his toes. Even though Finnick didn't like cold weather, cool water was something that Finnick rather enjoyed.

"See doesn't that feel nice on a hot day like this"

In a playful manner Gideon flicked his tail into the water to lightly splash Finnick. The sudden splash made Finnick shiver a bit. Not wanting to let Gideon get away with this attack, Finnick retaliated by splashing back. Thus the two had their little war as Gideon just kept flicking his tail to splash the little one. Slapping his hand hard into the water Finnick lost his balanced and tripped. Catching himself on the creek bank, he got mud in-between his toes and feet. Something about the cool mud in between his digits felt nice as he wiggled his toes and feet.

"So this is the little one you were talking about"

Finnick's heart raced. The whole time Finnick has assumed it was just him and Gideon. Someone else had been watching him play in the water like a baby.

Turning around, he could see a ferret standing behind Gideon. In an effort to hide his diaper Finnick used his muddy paws to cover the front and sat down into the water.

Gideon chuckled to himself as he gave Finnick a warm smile.

"Don't worry this here's my friend Travis. We used to come down here together when we were kids"

Cautiously looking at the ferret, Finnick could see that Gideon had his tail wrapped around the other ones tail. Although they were trying to hide it he also saw they were gently holding each other's paws. It took Finnick to put the pieces together but when he did a sudden blank expression went over his face.

"He catches on pretty fast" Travis said

With mud all over his diaper Finnick stayed crouched in the water. He wasn't about to reveal what he had on to a complete stranger

'Why the hell is he so calm about this. Did he fucking plan this'

Protest continued, Gideon moved over to where Finnick was sitting and rubbed his head.

"Heeeey come on apple fritter, you said you trusted me right?"

Being hesitant the fennec slowly nodded his head

"Then trust me when I say that Travis will keep all of this between the 3 of us"

Paused in his spot Finnick slowly stood up out of the water. He blushed when Travis looked directly at his diaper. When Finnick tried to take a step he felt like there was a giant weight around his waist. It was then he noticed that his mud stained diaper had swelled up with water, as it was now dangling below his knees. Doing the only thing he could do Finnick gave a frustrated angry expression.

Sounds of laughter quickly echoed through the woods. Travis and Gideon were having a laughing fit at the expense of the smaller one.

"Oh *breeths* oh I'm sorry Apple Fritter but that expression was just TOO precious"

It didn't matter if they thought his face was "precious" it still made Finnick pissed. He stared down the two as there laughter trailed off. Glaring angrily, Gideon came over and picked him up by the armpits.

"Heeey un-sour that face" he said trying to boop his nose.

Finnick nipped at the approaching digit. He was in no mood for games.

"Uh oh I think you made him grumpy" said Travis now standing behind Gideon

"Yup you're right. I think it's time to go"

Sitting the smaller one down Gideon gathered up the clothes and walked side by side with Travis. With the added weight of the diaper Finnick had a harder time keeping up. Step by step his thoroughly soaked diaper swung back and forth. The added waddle didn't help much either. All Finnick could think about was wanting to getting changed into a dry diaper.

Once at the truck Gideon got out a towel. With no bathroom around the truck's tailgate would have to do as a makeshift changing table. Laying him on his back Finnick was left in the sun in an effort to dry him off.

"I think it's about time for me to get goin" said Travis

Before departing Gideon grabbed Travis and gently kissed him on the lips. Finnick cringed at the show of affection coming from the two dudes. Showing some form of modesty to the small fox, Gideon waited for Travis to drive away before getting to work.

Finnick sighed with pleasure as the old diaper was ripped off.

"Whoops forgot the wipes in the truck. Don't move now" said Gideon as he left the fox.

'THE HELL IS HE DOING' he mentally screamed

Gideon just left the fox butt naked on the back of his tailgate. He was in public and the bigger fox didn't even care. Worst yet Gideon was taking his time looking for the damn wipes. In an attempt to show his displeasure Finnick started making whining sounds.

"Don't worry nobody's around"

Locating the wipes Gideon walked back to the naked fox. He couldn't help but think about how cute it was for Finnick to be embarrassed about being nakie.

'This can't be happening. I'm completely naked in public and he doesn't even care'

"Gotta clean your muddy lil paws. I don't wanna have to clean mud out of mah seats"

And with that said Gideon got to work. His small hands were the easiest to clean; his feet however were a little trickier. When he started to rub his paw pads Finnick burst out in babyish laughter.

"Oh so someone's ticklish are they" Gideon smirked "Tickle Tickle Tickle"

Finnick couldn't help it. With Gideon tickling his feet it sent Finnick into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. He flailed his body with his ears twitching uncontrollably.

"There we go almost do.." he stopped mid sentence. Both of them looking down Finnick saw that he accidently peed on himself. He couldn't believe it; he'd actually lost control of his bladder in one of the most humiliating ways. Gideon was quick to wipe up the fresh urine and he gave a light wipe over Finnick' dinky.

With the awkwardness still looming in the air Gideon taped on new diaper and dressed Finnick back in his clothes. The truck cabin was filled with silence as Gideon and Finnick drove down the road. Finnick had a sad look on his face, still humiliated about peeing on himself.

"Hey I got an idea that'll turn that frown upside down"

Their course was altered with Gideon driving up to what appeared to be a food stand. The parking lot was packed with lots of other mammals walking around. Finnick slouched down to avoid being seen by anyone else. Travis seeing him was already enough for the fox.

"Be back in a minute" said Gideon who rolled the truck windows down.

Waiting for Gideon felt like an eternity. Finnick stayed slouched in his car seat as he heard other people pass by.

He overheard a bunny girl mention a cute little baby in that truck she passed. Did he really look that much like a baby?

"There ya go lil guy use both yer paws now ya hear"

Looking at the drivers side Finnick stared at what he saw. As he stared he could have sworn he saw Nick holding a pawcicle out for him. Rubbing his eyes his now saw Gideon holding a large ice cream cone in front of him.

"Well go on, grab it before it melts"

Seized in his paws, Finnick licked the ice cream cone as his tail wiggled a little.

"Haha Ya see, its workin already"

With milkshake in paw Gideon started up the pick-up and continued on his route. Finnick couldn't be bothered in where they were going. The whole drove he was swishing his tail around as he ate his frozen treat. Gideon smiled as he periodically glanced over to the smaller fox.

For the rest of the day Gideon drove Finnick all around the Burrows. He showed him the various farms, the large river that ran through the county, old abandoned blast furnaces that were built into the hills, and other sites. Now that the sun was setting Gideon decided to show Finnick one last spot. Parked and locked the two started their small hike up the hillside

"This is mah favorite spot to go when it gets late like this"

Walking up the hill was getting tiresome. The fennec's small legs were already wearing out.

'Please let this hike be over'

Getting lost in thought Finnick didn't see that Gideon had stopped. He hit his face into his legs as the bigger one looked down at him

"TADA!" he exclaimed while moving aside.

Finnick was taken away by what he saw. The spot that Gideon had showed him was a baron patch where the trees didn't grow. From there he got to see the entire country side bathed in orange from the setting sun. All the farms and cars looked so small in comparison. As the two admired the view they sat down next to each other

"So whatcha think of my plans today, did ya have fun?"

"Y..yeah I did. I was nice" Finnick said to Gideon. His energy exhausted, he rested his head on Gideon

"Good"

As Finnick sat there he felt Gideon curl his tail around him. Almost instinctively Finnick gently grabbed it as he proceeded to snuggle the bushy tail. Gentle scratches to his head followed with Gideon humming. He let out a tired yawn as his eyes started to slowly shut

 _He was walking with some large stranger he didn't know holding it's paw. They kept walking until they reached a house where figures in weird clothing were talking. As the stranger ran to the weird figures he realized where he was; it was his house._

 _Seeing that the front door was open he walked passed the tall figures. He saw a weird square thing in the driveway but he didn't pay much attention. One inside he knew that he had to find his mama. He walked around for a bit seeing other figures in weird clothes standing around until he reached the den. Poking his head in he saw her, he saw his mama lying on the ground._

 _"Mama" he said in a happy tone_

 _The other weird figures in the room all looked sadly at him. He didn't know why but he didn't care, he was just happy that he found his mama. As he approached her one of the figures put a blanket over her. He just giggled at the silliness of what they were doing_

 _"Silly mama it not nini time yet"_

 _Before he could reach her one of the figures brought a hard shiny looking thing over to his mama. Another one came close to her as they put her on the thing they brought in. Starting to feel worried he just looked at her and said in a concerned tone_

 _"Where you going mama"_

 _He followed them out through the house as he started to hear what he thought was crying. Exiting the front door the strangers pushes the strange thing with his mama on it over to the square thing in the driveway. They appeared to hit something as one on his mama's arms dangled down. The sight of this made him scared as he called out again_

 _"Mama?"_

 _One of the figures approached him. He tried to run but the figure with the blue skin scooped him up. Squirming he screamed out for her again._

 _"MAMA!"_

 _He was able to look over the figures shoulder. He saw that they had put his mama into the square thing and it was starting to move away. As he reached his arms out, he yelled at the top of his lungs in vain to get her attention_

 _"MAMA! MAMA! MAMAAAAAAAAA!"_

Finnick was shocked back into consciousness. He must have fallen asleep because now he was in the crib again. This time he understood what the dream was. He couldn't help it: the dream had struck a cord with the small fox. Finnick curled into a ball and started to shake. Try as he might, he couldn't hold back tears anymore as he started to loudly cry.

All the pent up emotion that he'd held back over the years finally poured out. The more he tried to hold back tears the harder he seemed to cry. He couldn't think clearly, all his emotions were screwing with his thinking. Finnick didn't even notice the loud thumping footsteps that were rapidly approaching the door.

The door flung open as Gideon stood there with a concerned face. He ran over to the crib and scooped Finnick up.

"What's wrong" he said while trying to cradle the fox

He was given no response as Finnick continued this wailing. Gideon sat down in the rocker and tried the same strategy as last time. He put him on his chest as he gently licked his head. Nothing happened, not even after a few minute of this. He tried rocking him but that only seemed to make thing worse. Exhausting his tactics he left the room and sat on the couch. He noticed an early morning rain while shifting the fox onto his chest.

"Please tell me what's wrong Finnick I just want help you. I promise I won't judge you, it's safe to tell me "

Eyes filled with tears Finnick looked up at the fox who was giving him a warm loving smile. He had no idea what to do, rarely had anyone offered to help the fox like this. Not knowing what else to do Finnick took his paws off his eyes as he buried his face into Gideon's chest.

Finnick went on to tell Gideon everything. How his dad walked out on him and his mother when he was just a baby. How he found his mom dead in their house while watching her get taken away when he was 4. How none of his extended family wanted to take care of him. How he was passed from foster home to foster home until finally ending up in the orphanage. How the orphanage was a hellhole and how the other kids harassed him. How none of the families showed any interest in wanting to adopt him. How he saved up enough money for his van to escape from that hellhole when he turned 18. How he was fired from every job he worked due to being accused of stealing. How his only friend had ditched him for somebody he barely knew. Just the general feeling of unwontedness throughout his entire life.

"I guess *gasp* I guess the real reason why I do the whole cub thing i..*gasp* is to know what it feels like to have a family again. Even if it's all just p..*gasp*pre….*gasp* …..pretend"

It was getting harder and harder for Gideon to keep a smile on his face. He could feel all the pain Finnick had gone through. With the little one buried in his chest Gideon gently hugged him.

"It's not pretend" he said with tears in his eyes

"W… *gasp* what" said the little one who looked up

"Over these last few months I've come to really care about ya. All I want is to take care of ya and to make sure that you're happy"

Another wave of crying came over Finnick. Gideon's shirt was now soaked with the small one's tears. It didn't matter though, Gideon knew Finnick needed to let it all out; so he just laid on the couch and gently held Finnick close to him.

"I'm so sorry for how life has treated you. I promise ya that I want you and you'll always be welcome in my life and home if you need it"

After there little heart to heart the two stayed silent. Gideon's little talk with the fennec had calmed him down a lot as his crying went from loud wailing to silent sobs and whimpering. Finnick was in no condition to drive back today. Even with the rain he wasn't in the right mental state for driving.

For the rest of the day the two foxes stayed on the couch. The bigger one gently pet the smaller one while the other still had his face buried in his chest. Every time Gideon put the small one down to do something his crying would start up. Any effort to feed Finnick was in vain as no interest was shown in the bottles that were placed close to him. Before they knew it, it was night time. Still dresses in the onesie that Gideon had placed on him the night before, he carried the fox over to his old room to be changed.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna leave ya alone tonight" he cooed to Finnick

Once he was dressed Gideon carried him to his bedroom. The bed was huge, definitely made for two people to sleep in. Finnick was now done crying and was just shaking. Removing off his tear soaked shirt Gideon changed into pajamas and got in the bed.

"Come here apple fritter, I gotcha"

Lifting the blankets over him, he placed Finnick on his belly. Placing the Finnick on the other side was a viable option; heck the bed was definitely big enough. But Gideon knew his apple fritter needed to be close to him. With the lights off he gave Finnick a gently kiss on the forehead and said goodnight. Lying on Gideon helped Finnick out. His soft belly combined with the gentle sound of rain hitting the roof soothed Finnick. Snuggling closer, Finnick shut his eyes as the two went to sleep.

Morning came and Finnick was still lying on top of the red fox. Gideon had made them a huge breakfast to make up for the lack of nourishment from the pervious day. Dressed, changed, and fed, the duo stood near Finnick's van.

"So are ya sure you're ok to drive now" Gideon said in a concerned tone.

"Yeah I feel so much better. A…and th…thanks for what you did"

Gideon just smiled down to the fox. It filled him with glee to know how much he helped. Digging into his pocket Gideon pulled out $80 and put it in Finnick's paw.

"For yesterday cause you couldn't leave"

Finnick couldn't believe that Gideon was doing this. On top of being his emotional anchor yesterday, he was just giving him money.

"I can't take this from you. You've already done enough f…" he was stopped mid sentence as Gideon placed one of his digits over Finnick's lips

"Shhh" he shushed "I told you I wanted to take care of you. And if giving you money is one of those ways then I'm more than happy to do it."

Finnick tail started to wag "Is.. Is it ok if I come back next week"

"Come back anytime you'd like. I meant what I said yesterday. Just think of my place as your second home"

With their goodbyes done Finnick opened up the back of his van. A strong wind blew everything around sending papers flying. As he shut the door, he looked in his rearview seeing Gideon smiling and waving. Pulling out of the driveway he looked to Gideon and happily waved back.

Three days later Finnick was wondering around the city. Something about what happened at Gideon's changed the fox as he now had a happier attitude. He had spent the last few days looking for a real job instead of just stealing from people to get buy. It was now night and with phone in hand Finnick started to text.

Finnick: _hey nick are you there_

No answer. He waited for a few minutes before he sent another message.

Finnick: _I just want to talk with you face to face._

 _I promise I won't yell I just need_

 _to talk with you PLEASE_

A few minutes passed before he felt a soft vibration come from his pocket

Nick: _Ok little buddy I'll talk with you_

He texted Nick where he'd parked his van. If he was going to talk to the red fox, then he at least wanted to do it on his turf. Nick texted back saying that he'd be there in an hour or so. On his way to his van he muttered to himself in an attempt to mentally prepare for their talk.

"Ok no yelling. I'm just gonna talk with him is all. I just need to g.. *BAM*"

Finnick was interrupted as he was met with a solid object hitting him in the head. It sent the fox flying to the adjacent wall behind him. Staggering, he got up and saw 3 polar bears standing near his van.

"Mr. Big sends his regards."

Despite all the precautions he took, Mr. Big somehow found him. Still injured from the blow to the head Finnick got up and unsheathed his claws. There was no way he was going down without a fight.

One of the goons charged at Finnick, which he dodged. Although he hated being so small the one advantage it did have was making him a smaller target. He dipped under him and hit the polar bear's ball back a few times as hard as he could. With the bear bent over in pain Finnick rushed the other two. He hated fighting dirty like that, but if there's one thing you learn on the streets it's that you don't fuck around with polar bears.

Despite the face that having sharp claws was taboo in modern society, they came in handy for situations like this. Finnick used them to climb up one of the goons as he got to his face. With a firm grasp of the polar bears shirt Finnick took a claw and made a long hard swipe across his eyes.

"AAAH FUCKER!" the polar bear screamed in pain.

With him having incapacitated the other two Finnick lunged at the third. This, however, turned out to be a grave mistake as the polar bear used Finnick's lack of mobility to his advantage. He dipped to the side and grabbed Finnick's tail. With one hard swing he sent Finnick flying into the wall. Laying on the ground the other two had gotten up, ready to take their vengeance. They wasted no time in the beat down of the fennec. Kicking and punching him, they mostly focusing on his head. Once they were satisfied one of the polar bears got out a gas can and was about to pour it over Finnick.

"NO" one of the polar bears said "Mr. Big wants this one alive as an example"

Grumbling to himself the polar bear with the gas can forced open the door to Finnick's van. The beat down continued outside with kicks periodically hitting the now semi-conscious fox's. Emptied, the polar bear threw the can out the back of the van.

"This is your only warning kid. Don't fuck with Mr. Big"

Lit lighter in paw, the polar bear tossed it inside the van. With the added boxes and blankets the van was engulfed in flames within seconds. No longer needing to stick around, the goons ran. Barely holding onto consciousness, Finnick weakly put up a paw toward his burning van.

"m…..mama"

Sirens blared as multiple vehicles approached the burning wreckage. Beaten, bloodied, and bruised, Finnick couldn't hold on anymore as he slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing he saw was everything he ever owned burning away in front of him.

 **Heads up it might be a while for chapter 7. I need to find ways to make the next chapter longer so it doesn't end up being too short. Any suggestions are welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Fun fact. I'm actually posting this on my birthday. Well here you go, the next chapter. I personally think it's one of my better chapters I've come up with.**

 **A big thanks to everyone who helped and submitted ideas to me for what to do.**

 **There's a subtle hidden reference in the story I wonder who can find it forst. Hint: it's not who the doctor is.**

Once the sun went down and the stars came out the city took on a completely different life. The light of the sun was replaced with the light of shops and the flickering of jumbo T.V screens. Most shops stayed open as the nocturnal breeds of mammals took over for their daytime co-workers. The darkness also awoken the club scene of Zootopia as mammals waited in lines that wrapped around the nightclubs with the slim chance they might get in. Having such a diverse range of mammals Zootopia was truly the city that never slept.

Being a nocturnal mammal himself, Nick felt more comfortable under the cover of night. As he walked he couldn't help getting taken in by the cool night air; after a hot summer day it was a nice relief from the day long heat wave. Walking at a calm pace his friend Judy wasn't nearly as relaxed as he was. Be it her bunny instincts she was always slightly more on edge when it got dark, and walking towards the more shady part of town wasn't helping any. Passing the Electric Zoo nightclub, the duo entered the less illustrious part of the area. Although it wasn't nearly as bad as other parts of the city it was still an area that you had to keep an eye out in. Standing tall, both her and Nick walked confidently as they passed various shady looking mammals.

"Nick, I love spending time with you and all but why did you ask me to come with you"?

"Well that's simple carrots you're gonna be the emotional support"

Judy stared back at Nick with a confused look.

"All you gotta do is be there if you start to hear shouting and offer a shoulder to cry on" Nick smugly said as he pulled out his phone.

"And I want you here as backup incase Finnick tries to kill me" he said as he showed Judy the picture he took of when they found out Finnick's secret months ago.

Even through the darkness of night Nick could still see some red on the bunny's face. Despite the fact he didn't show it he was actually really unsure about how the meeting would go. Finnick's message said he just wanted to talk, but knowing the smaller fox's temper he didn't want to take any changes. He probably wouldn't have to resort to using what he knew about the fennec's personal life, however it always pays to have an edge in any situation.

On there way to where Finnick said he was Nick caught a faint smell of something foul in the air. At first he brushed it off as figuring it was just something in the wind, but as they got closer the smell got worse. If Nick had to guess, he's probably say it was something between burning rubber or oil. Either way the look of revulsion on his face was clear as day as his facial expressions didn't go un-noticed by the bunny.

"Something wrong Nick?"

"I dunno. I just caught a wiff of something."

Turning the corner into the alley the two stared in horror as they found the source of the smell. Standing in the alley way was the charred remains of Finnick's van. The fire department had already dealt with the raging inferno as they were packing up all there equipment. Nick scanned the area to see if he could find any signs of his friend. What he found instead was Bogo taping off the area with police tape

"CHIEF!" the two shouted in unison.

Seeing his fellow officers Bogo motioned for Nick and Judy to come over.

"Chief what happened here!" said Nick in a worried tone

"From the looks of things I'd say its assault and arson. The victim was taken to the hospital about 20 minutes ago."

"Oh god" said the red fox with a worried look on his face

"I take it from your reaction you know the victim?"

"Chief. Please. We'll give you more details later but we NEED to go see him"

Judy's pleas didn't fall on deaf ears as Bogo nodded in agreement. He motioned for an officer standing by to come over. From there he said the victim was transported to Bellview hospital and ordered to officer to give Judy and Nick a ride. For the entire trip Nick was silent. Usually he would at least express his nervousness with bad puns or witty observations, but no, this time he was dead quiet with a dumbfound expression.

Arriving at the hospital was the easy part. When the two explained the situation to the receptionist she told them that an unidentified mammal was still in surgery. While the bunny passed back and forth Nick was slumped in his chair. He wore a grim face as the endless wait dragged on.

"You said you needed to see me sir?" a female badger said to them

Seeing the doctor made Nick react; he shot up out of his chair and dashed over to the doctor.

"How is he!?" he said with a tone of concern in his voice.

Looking confused, the doctor peaked over to Judy who was holding out her badge and signaled the doctor that it was ok.

"They got him here just in time. We were able to stop his brain from swelling and we got his internal bleeding under control. Thankfully he slipped unconscious before the fire started so he didn't breathe in much of the smoke"

With a sigh of relief Nick gave his signature relaxed look.

"….But" the doctor added

The added comment brought a worried look back to Nick's face.

"b..but"

"*sigh* He went into a comatose state. It might have saved his life but we have no idea when he'll wake up"

Judy gasped hearing the fate of the fennec fox. Nick's heart sank when he heard the news. He couldn't have imagined anything this severe.

"Can we see him doctor" Judy said as Nick was frozen in his spot.

"Ok but try not to disturb him he just came out of surgery."

As they followed the doctor Nick delusionally hoped that it was somebody else. He hoped that it was just some random unlucky mammal that got beaten near Finnick's van. He tried to reason with himself that Finnick's phone had just died while he wondered off to get something to eat; and once they got the mix-up sorted out they'd just have a drink and laugh about it. All his false hopes came crashing down as they entered the room as what little hope he had left in his eyes was extinguished. On the bed was Finnick covered in gauze. The small fox looked so weak and helpless lying on the bed. IV bags and heart monitors were all stuck on him as the machines beeped. Nick looked over to his partner and saw she had her hands over her mouth.

"I'll leave you two alone with him" said the doctor as she shut the door on her way out.

There they were. The first time Nick had actually seen his friend face to face in over a year, and he looked like he was on death's door. Judy sat herself in the chair next to Finnick's bed while Nick stood there. He kept going over what the doctor had said to them about not knowing when he might wake up. Dark thoughts crept into Nick's mine as he imagined the doctors saying it was time to pull the plug. He could almost hear all the heart rate monitors flat line as Finnick slipped away.

The bunny nudged Nick as he snapped out of his dark daydream. Judy gently stroked the unconscious fox. Not even the touch of her paw registered to the unconscious fox.

"What should we do?" she asked Nick

Nick had no response. He just stood with a blank expression lost in thought, still taking in everything that had happened in the last few hours. The rabbit kept gently petting Finnick. Even though he couldn't feel anything she still tried to give him some form of comfort. She was holding back tears; never before had she ever dealt with this kind of scenario. Judy might have only met Finnick twice, but he meant a lot to Nick and that was enough for her to be concerned for the small fox.

"Come on Nick there's gotta be something we can do to help him"

Nick straightened up in an instant. The smug grin quickly formed on his face. He had an idea, an idea that brought a spark of hope back into his eyes.

"Judy I think I got something" he said while walking up to her "But I'm gonna need your help."

"COME OUT HERE YA BASTARD, WHEN I FIND YA YOU'RE DEAD"

Finnick had no idea where he was. The only way to describe it would be a black void of nothingness. He had no sense of direction, he couldn't smell anything, and there was nobody else around. Well it wasn't complete nothingness, as wherever Finnick was in kept showing him every awful moment of his life.

"KNOCK THIS SHIT OFF. YOU'RE REALLY PISSING ME OFF NOW"

Even if Finnick closed his eyes he still saw every bad decision of his life. He saw his mom getting carried away over and over again like it was still fresh in his mind. He was there as he witnessed him getting beaten up and when the people came to put him in the orphanage. It cycled between every bad memory he had in an endless loop. It was hell for the small fox as the next, and perhaps one of the worst, memory played in front of him; the day he finally gave up.

He remembered it was a nice day at the orphanage. Finnick was ten at the time as he stood along with the other mammals in hopes of getting adopted. After years of holding out the young fennec had finally given up on ever seeing his mother again, so instead he tried to get a new family. Although he was way past the usual age when couples would adopt, he was still determined to get out of the orphanage. He stood there in the best clothes he had waiting for his potential new parents.

"I don't even know why you're still trying runt. Nobody wanted you then and nobody wants you know" a rhino kid said to him

Finnick didn't remember much about the rhino. The only things he did remember were that he was 7 and he was an asshole to pretty much every other kid. He did his best to block out the kid. Soon the door opened which was followed an elephant couple walking in. They went by everyone as they soon came over to Finnick. He stood as tall as he could as the female elephant noticed him.

"Oooh look at him he's so cute"

With her response she grabbed him with her trunk. Finnick gave her the cutest eyes he could muster as she smiled at him. As the day progressed, the couple talked with other children, even the rhino. All the while the female elephant cradled Finnick in her trunk. Finnick heard the couple talking with everyone, but was too content with feeling her touch that he wasn't listening. He felt a shift in his position as the female put him down as the two walked into the other room.

Finnick got really excited by this. Usually when people went into the other room that meant they were getting ready to take somebody home. A giant smile grew on the foxes face as they came back and motioned in his direction.

'This is it. I'm finally getting mommy and a daddy again.' he gleefully thought to himself

Taking a step forward Finnick was knocked over by the rhino.

"See ya runt"

The fox couldn't believe what was happening. He saw the rhino standing between the two elephants. Confused, Finnick dashed over to the female and grabbed her leg.

"I'm sorry sweetie. You can't go with us, we might accidently hurt you"

Just like that Finnick's heart shattered into a million pieces. She gently tugged him of her leg giving him a few gentle pats goodbye.

"See I told you runt. Nobody wants you." And with his final words the new family walked out the door for good.

There he stood near the doorway of the orphanage. His once hopeful eyes watering up as he watched what might have been his last chance of getting out drive away. Finnick was on the verge completely breaking down but somehow he mustered enough power to dash back to his room. The fox buried himself under the covers of his bed as he started to cry. He clutched the only picture he had of his mother close to him in a lonesome embrace.

"Yo…you know what….FINE. I don't n…need anyone anyway. I JUST WANT TO BE ALONE" he shouted while being curled up into a ball

Although no one else was around Finnick felt the need to shout this as he cried under the covers. All his hopes of ever getting out of the orphanage were gone in an instant with a more darker ideology taking hold.

From there the perspective swapped back to the now adult Finnick who was in the exact same position as his past self. Much like his past counter part he was crying with the pain he had tucked away all those years ago resurfaced in him.

"But I….i didn't want to be alone" he said allowed "I just wanted to be loved like all the other children. I…I just was t…tired of being rejected all the time"

As he cried he buried his face into his paws.

"P…please help me. I don't wanna be here anymore"

When the tears finally dried Finnick looked around. He saw something new in the distance; it was a white light. Lifting himself up he walked over from the dark nothingness and into the new white void. Darkness receded until it was just the soft white all around him. He saw himself clearly now as he looked around to find where he was at. In the distance he saw a figure. It was too far away form Finnick to make out who or what it was. But as he walked closer he could tell it was a female fennec fox. Only a few feet away from her, Finnick finally knew who it was. It had been so long since he saw her but he knew it was her

"m…maa…MAMAAAAA!"

He ran into her arms crying like a little kit. It was her. After all these years he finally saw her again. She looked just as he remembered her with darker sand colored fur and lighter sand colored circles around her eyes. Finnick buried his face into her chest as she hugged him. Her fur was as soft as he remembered. It was a comforting feeling he hadn't felt in years as he cried his eyes out. She even smelt exactly like he remembered.

Getting control of himself he smiled and looked up to her. Even though she towered over him when he was little they were now the exact same height. She smiled at him and gently brushed his face.

"Look at you. My little boy all grown up"

His mom started to get teary eyed as she spoke.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you so early in your life. I was called back a lot earlier than expected"

"I don't care mama. All that matters is that you're here now"

Finnick broke the embrace. His face showed signs of shame and disgust.

"You're ashamed of me aren't you? For all the things I've done with my life"

She gently put her hand on his face. Giving the comfort only a mother can give she smiled at her son.

"I could never be ashamed of you." said his mom "I know how hard it's been for you as a fox growing up in this world without a mother or family"

With tears in her eyes she continued

"I just wish I could have been there for you. To see you grow, to send you to school, to hold you when you needed comfort, to say I love you"

The two foxes just stood there and hugged. All his past failings didn't matter anymore. He felt so much happier to have his mom again.

"Finni, the reason I'm here is to tell you it's ok. I know what you've been feeling the last few months and it's ok to move on from me. You're not betraying my memory by wanting another family; I'll always be your mommy no matter what"

Finnick gave her a confused look

"I don't know what you mean"

"It's ok honey you will. Not right now but you will"

With a smile she pet her son one last time

"You need to go back now Finni. There's people in your life who genuinely love and care about you now"

He started to tear up again upon hearing what his mom said.

"But mama I don't want to lose you again"

She hummed as she hugged him close

"Don't worry my little kit you're not losing me, I'll always be with you. We'll see each other again but for now I need you to wake up. Waake uppp. Waaaake….uuuupp"

Finnick slowly opened his eyes. The florescent lights hurt his eyes. After adjusting to the light he weakly looked around. His body was weak and he could barely move his arms or legs. The fox realized he was in a hospital bed, which was odd because he had no idea how he got there.

Nobody else was in the room which made the fox somewhat anxious as the question of what happened burned in his skull. Overhearing someone talking outside he lifted one of his ears up to try to listen in. Even with his hearing the beeping of the machines drowned out the conversation. Finnick tried speaking up but his voice was still weak. He heard the door open as the first thing he saw was a police uniform.

'Oh great they've come to bust me'

Finnick figured the cops had taken him to the hospital so they could arrest him when he got better. However he contradicted his own theory as he saw that no restraints of any kind were placed on him. The cop moved closer with his face out of sight. They were carrying a fresh cup of coffee, which made Finnick sniff the air. He smelt something familiar; a smell he hadn't smelt in a while. And when the officer looked away from the conversation to take a drink Finnick saw his former red fox friend.

"n….nick" Finnick said weakly. He was still unable to move very much so he just turned his head towards Nick.

Nick froze. He slowly looked over to the hospital bed and saw that Finnick was looking at him; eyes completely open and weakly blinking. In shock, the fox dropped the hot cup of coffee with it's contents spilling all over the floor.

"HE'S AWAKE! DOCTOR COME BACK HE'S AWAKE!"

Nick ran out of site to chase down the doctor. When the came back he was accompanied by the honey badger and an otter nurse. She started asking him a bunch of questions like what his name was and who was the mayor. Annoyed, he answered all of their dumb questions without a problem. The small fox learned that he had been in a coma. Dr. Badger ended all her questions and left to work on Finnick's charts. And there they were. For the first time in over a year Finnick was face to face with Nick. He wanted to get up and leave, however he couldn't move his legs very well. With no other option he started to make small talk with the red fox.

"How long was I out for?"

"Two weeks" the red fox responded

"TWO WEEKS!"

He needed a moment to collect himself. Two weeks had passed on the outside world but to the fennec it felt as if no time had passed between getting beaten and waking up.

"Why are you here Wilde?" he asked

Nick look puzzled. He had no idea why Finnick was talking like this to him, especially since the last time he messaged him he wanted to talk.

"Are you here to rub your better life in my face? To see me when I'm weak? Well fine you win. Your life's better than mine"

Not wanting to look at Nick, Finnick gathered all his strength and rolled over to face the wall.

"I couldn't have done those hustles without. You were always the smooth talker and I just wore the suit. You never needed me Nick I'm the one that needed you, and when you left to follow your dream I just couldn't do it."

Nick peaked over at Finnick's face to see he was tearing up slightly. He was surprised his friend wasn't yelling but he just assumed he was still too weak.

"I held you back all these years Wilde. I don't blame you for taking the first opportunity to get away from me. I can understand why you keep rubbing your success in my face with the money you sent me. I understand why you hate me"

The two sat silent in the room. Nick had no idea how to respond to his friend as it was the first time he saw Finnick in this kind of emotional state. Gently patting Finnick's shoulder Nick began to speak.

"I never hated you Finnick"

"huh?" said the small fox in response

"I'm sorry if that's how you've felt all this time but I never hated you. I went with Judy because it's something I had to do with my life. I sent you money all that time to make sure I didn't leave you hanging."

As he rolled back over towards Nick, he had that smug smile on his face.

"And it's why I'm here now. I specifically asked the Chief to assign me on security for you."

It was dead silent in the room. All this time Finnick figured that Nick had hated him but now….now he didn't know what to think anymore. Suddenly he was hit with the realization of what happened that night two weeks ago.

"Where my phone at?" the fennec said

Nick just gave Finnick a frown and said "I'm sorry it got destroyed when you got beaten down"

Finnick paused before he responded

"Oh god Nick I've lost everything."

"Oh come on buddy you're exaggerating" he said in an attempt to soften the impact of what happened

"Don't you get it Nick. I couldn't afford insurance on my van. I've literally lost everything I ever had. S….she's gone too, mama's gone"

It seemed bleak for the small fox. In one fowl swoop everything he had to his name was burned in the fire. Nick tried to offer trivial hope to try to cheer up his friend.

"Well…..well can you at least tell me who did this. I'll see to it that they pay for what they did"

Finnick looked at Nick in the eyes

"I can't say"

Nick had seen that look before; it was the look of compliance. Nick had a good idea of who might have done this, which is why his friend wouldn't name anybody specific. Not wanting to push the topic any further Nick just gave a rebuttal.

"Alright then I'll just tell the chief you never saw your attacker"

Finnick felt defeated. He couldn't even hope to get revenge on Mr. Big. Even worse the slow grim realization dawned on him that he also lost his only place to sleep.

"Where am I gonna go now Nick. I got nowhere to go."

Nick gave a reassuring smile at Finnick as he started to dig in his pocket.

"Sure there is" said Nick as he slipped something into Finnick's paw

Whatever Nick slipped into Finnick's hand it was hard and cold. He looked down at his paw and saw it was a key. Not just any key though it looked like a house key.

'Is he serious' he pondered

"You're always welcome at my place"

And for the first time in weeks Finnick let out a weak little smile. Even with everything that had happened the small fox was happy that his friend was there for him.

Over the next two days Finnick had to stay in the hospital. The doctors said they had to run tests on him before they could ok him to leave. They still asked him questions claiming it was to make sure he was still mentally fit. Physical therapy was offered to the fox, but he declined as it meant he would have to spend extra time there. Against their wishes they allowed him to opt out of it and instead told him exercises he could do to build his leg muscles up again.

Even though he had woken up Nick still took it upon himself to visit him every day up to his release. Nick was his saving grace from the hospital food as he would always bring some form of take out for the two to eat. Plus it was nice to hear how much he messed up some run or how some pig girl kicked him in the nuts.

The day finally came for Finnick to be released. Nick said he would be there to take him back to his place. Walking back to Nick's place impossible for the fox in his state as the muscles in his legs needed to be built up again. Wheel chairs for mammals his size were hard to come by. Nick thought of a solution to take him home but Finnick's hopes turned to irritation as Nick showed up at the lobby with that damned pink stroller.

"Why the hell didn't you get rid of this thing?" said Finnick as Nick pushed the fussy fox down the sidewalk

"I decided to keep it so I could remember my little boy" Nick went to rub Finnick cheek but drew his hand back as Finnick snapped at it.

"And they didn't have any damn wheelchairs?"

"Nope" he smugly grinned

Finnick grumbled to himself as Nick walked

"Aww I'm sorry. If you'd like I can carry you instead"

An irritated grunt came out of the smaller one. He knew he was beat so he just pulled the sun blocker over the stroller so people couldn't see him.

"Just push the damn stroller"

It seemed like a longer walk than usual to Finnick. The small fox noticed that area was a lot nicer than he remembered.

"You know its probably a good thing that you gave me back my key. With my new stable income I was able to move into an area where you probably aren't gonna get mugged at night."

As Finnick peeked out from behind the visor he saw a much newer and nicer looking building. There wasn't a broken window or gang sign anywhere to be seen as they entered. Going up the to 4th floor the go got out as they went to Nick's new place. Inside it was majorly different compared to the old place. Gone were the visible pipes that protruded from the ceiling. A non-ripped, non-stained black L-shaped couch sat along the wall matched with a flat screen TV.

Getting settled in Nick told Finnick he could use the guest bedroom. Finnick had to use the walls to support his own weight but he was able to make it. The next day was all about building Finnick's legs up again. Nick had left for work so Finnick finally had alone time. Most of the day was spent falling on his ass in attempts to walk without support. He was surprised when Nick came home with Judy; apparently one of their new things to do was eat dinner with each other after work.

Aches and pains from the day prevented Finnick from joining the others at the table. Part of him didn't want to show how weak he was now, so he quietly asked Nick to get him a plate. With the food in hand Finnick wobbled over to the couch and got on. He ate his meal in silence without ever looking up. The only time he looked up was when he felt the couch move. Taking his eyes off the plate he looked over and saw it was Judy. She had apparently taken it upon herself to come over with her dinner and eat with him. Judy didn't say anything and just smiled at Finnick. Brushing it off Finnick went back to eating. The fennec had no idea why Judy was trying to get to know him; all throughout dinner she kept trying to make small talk, she even took his plate up when he was finished.

The fox was exhausted from the day. He didn't feel like hanging out with the duo so he hobbled off to the other room and into the pile of blankets. The next morning Finnick pulled him out of the pile and went to the door. He was taken by surprise when he opened the door and saw Nick still there.

"Gooooood morning sunshine" he said in a disgustingly cheerful tone

Finnick let out an undecipherable mumble, working his way over to the kitchen. He was in no mood to deal with Nick and his shit until he had at least a cup of coffee. Reaching his destination Nick handed him a cup of joe along with a plate that had a crudely made pancake fox on it.

"The hell you still doin here Nick? Shouldn't you be with the fuzz?" said Finnick after he downed his drink

"Yup. But I talked Bogo into giving me the week off to babysit you" he smirked

"Fuck Off"

Food finished off Finnick slowly moved to the middle of the floor. He mentally prepared himself for another day of falling on his ass as he stood and fell. The fox saw Nick sitting in the chair behind him; probably getting ready to watch his shortcomings. Staggering, he got back up ready to try again. Finnick didn't make it more than a few steps as he felt his balance shift, sending him down again. He tensed up in anticipation for the impact but when he fell he felt something cushion the impact of his fall. It felt bushy and soft: Finnick felt the ground beneath him and looked down to see it was Nick's tail.

"Come on buddy lets get you back up" said Nick as he held Finnick's paws above the small fox's head

"Just what the hell do you think you're doin"

"Helping you out."

Finnick glared

"Look do you wanna keep falling on your ass or do you want help so you can walk again"

Finnick was quiet. He had his signature angry scowl as he stared Nick down.

"It's just us, I won't tell anyone if you don't"

With a defeated sigh he just let Nick help him. As he walked around Nick held onto his paws in order to keep his balance. Whenever he was about to fall Nick would put his tail underneath him to soften the blow.

"Aww look at that I think baby's learning how to walk" Nick said in a mocking tone

"Be thankful I can't jump or your face'd be ripped off"

For the rest of the week Nick aided in Finnick's recovery. Everyday he would do the same thing; hold Finnick's paws above his head while he walked behind him. Though Finnick complained about how sore he was the results were worth it. In only four days he was able to walk without aid of any kind. Be it was at a slow pace, it was still progress.

Judy still came over every night for dinner. At first she annoyed the small fox as she would always sit next to him during dinner. She would always try to talk with him about trivial things in order to start a conversation. Usually the fennec would ignore idle chit chat but there was something different about the bunny. She gave off a vibe of genuine concern for Finnick. During dinner when Finnick had finished eating she would ask him if he wanted more and even went as far as to put away his dishes. After a few days Finnick finally starting warming up to her, he even engaged Judy in conversation. Slowly he started to understand the allure that the bunny had as deep down he somewhat understood what made Nick go with her.

Friday rolled around as Nick and Finnick spent the day doing nothing. Finnick had made enough progress that he felt the need to take a day off. That and his legs felt too sore to try. The duo just lounged around all day and watched TV. In a way it reminded Finnick of the good old days of him and Nick just hanging out in the back of his van. He would never admit it to the red fox but Finnick always enjoyed doing absolutely nothing with his friend.

Nick had mentioned that on Fridays he would always go over to Judy's place for their movie night ritual. He said Finnick was welcome to come along when the time came for Nick to leave.

'Eeh what the hell I'm not doing anything'

Rationalized in his head Finnick left with Nick to the bunny's apartment. To compensate for the smaller one's loss of speed Nick walked at a slower pace so Finnick could keep up with him.

"You should have seen Judy's old place. It was literally a cracker box that gave your van a run for its money."

Being one of the best officers in the ZDP had its perks: One of which was a bigger pay check. With the extra money she got Judy moved out of her dinky little apartment and away from her obnoxious neighbors. Her new place was only 2 blocks away from where Nick was staying. They arrived at the building and knocked on her door.

"Come on in boys" Judy said

From how Nick was describing her old place the new one definitely looked like an upgrade. Separate kitchenette, small den, 2 separate bedrooms, definitely luxury in comparison

"I forgot to mention I have a friend coming over in about an hour so we're gonna have to hold off for a bit."

"Yeah sure whatever" said Finnick as he clamed a spot on the couch

He shut his eyes for a moment to take in his surroundings. Once they were opened, he was greeted with the happy grin of the bunny looking over him.

"I've got a little something for you"

The rabbit reached into her pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a older version of the iPaw.

"I know it's the latest model, but you should still be able to make calls and stuff on it" said Judy as she placed the phone in his hands.

Finnick was taken away at the bunny's generosity. She barely even knew Finnick but she was still giving him an older smartphone.

"I….I don't…..T….thank you" he struggled as he pieced together his response

Her only response was to hug the small mammal. He felt the warmth from her hug, it was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

As the wait went on everyone went on to do something to occupy them selves. Judy was busy chopping up vegetables and making the popcorn. Nick was hard at work staring into his phone. And Finnick had plugged his new phone into the wall with the spare charger Judy gave him. She said she spent the last few days looking for it so she wasn't able to charge it in time for their arrival.

A knock at the door came as Judy's friend was finally here.

"Nick can you get that I'm in the middle of chopping"

"Finnick can you get that I'm busy with something"

"No you're not you're just sitting on your ass playing with your phone" he grumbled

"Just get the door please"

"Lazy ass mammal" muttered the grumpy one.

As he waddled over to the door another knock followed. Using his sore leg muscles he managed to find enough strength to turn the knob to the door.

"Alright Alright quit it with the damn knocking and ge…"

The fox stopped midsentence as he opened the door to greet Judy's friend. Immediately his ears dropped down and he swung his tail between his legs. Finnick was motionless as all he could do was stare up at the taller mammal, who responded by looking down at him as he gave Finnick that familiar warm smile he was used to


	8. Chapter 8

Ok before I begin I should admit something. The reason why this took so long is because I kinda lost interest in this story. I'm not ending the story early because I've planned for this to only have 8 chapter since the beginning. For some reason all my motivation just dried up after I wrote chapter 7.

Although I'm glad I did finish writing cause I might have an idea for a possible sequel and a Christmas story. No promises but I'll see what I can do.

Any as some of you have already guested I was inspired by another story called "A New Life". It's very well written and I suggest you take a look for yourself. s/11824520/1/A-New-Life

Anyway thank you all for sticking with me til the end. This is the first major story project I've ever done.

* * *

Finnick stood in the doorway staring up at Judy's guest. Time seemed to stand still for the small fox as he was frozen in his spot. How did he find him? How did he know Judy? Why was he here now? As time passed the silence was broken by the one in the doorway.

"So ya gonna let me in Apple Fritter?"

*mmph* "Apple Fritter" said Nick in muffled laugh, which was followed up with a hard jab to his gut from Judy's elbow.

Without saying a word Finnick steeped aside for Gideon. The larger fox made his way to the couch on the other side of the room. He just smiled at Finnick as he motioned to the spot next to him, signaling for the small fox to sit. Slowly Finnick crept his way over to the couch. He turned his head over to Nick and Judy to see they were both smiling as Nick gave him a thumbs up. Finnick's face was frozen in terror

'Oh god they know…OH god they know….OH GOD THEY KNOW'

He quickly climbed the couch and sat there, staring at the floor. Finnick was frozen like a statue constantly worrying about Judy and Nick possibly knowing about his secret. It wasn't until Gideon put his paw on Finnick's back that he was finally brought out of his trance.

"I bet your wonderin why I'm here huh"

Finnick just nodded, still not making eye contact with Gideon.

"Well Judy told me with yer van and ya bein in the hospital and… I've been really worried. All I could think about these last few weeks was ya lyin in bed and me bein too far away to do anythin to help. That got me to thinkin and…well… I want ya to come live with me."

Slowly his head turned towards Gideon, looking him in the eyes.

"W….what?" said the small fox making sure he heard Gideon correctly. As he sat there he felt Gideon move his body to face him

"I'll be honest with ya, I really enjoy all the time that we spend together. When it's just me at home the house feels eerily quiet and lifeless. But whenever you're over its like my house is alive again with the warmth I felt when I was a kit."

Rubbing Finnick's back, Gideon slouched down to the ground getting on eye level with the small fox.

"Look I know how hard it's been for ya, growin up alone without a family n all. If you come to live with me I promise to try my best to be the family you never had, no matter what."

The small fox was dumbfounded upon hearing Gideon. Never had he ever imagined the fox would be so concerned over him, let alone ask him to move in. Finnick almost felt guilty that Gideon had worried so much about him. The entire time after he had woken up Finnick hadn't really thought about the red fox; and now here he was offering to let him live with him as his "baby".

Finnick felt a light pat on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Gideon was still looking down at him with a smile.

"Take your time and think it over. It's a big decision to make"

And just like that the attention was taken off of Finnick and shifted back to movie night. The lights were turned off as Judy pushed play on the player. She had chosen some cheesy buddy cop. However movies were the last thing on Finnick's mind at the moment.

While the focus was on what was playing on the TV, Finnick just sat there staring blankly at nothing. Everything that Gideon had said ran through his mind over and over again. He couldn't believe the Fox was actually offering to let him live with him. Could it all have been a freak coincidence that Gideon just happened to know Judy; and that he just happened too come over.

In his head Finnick shook that thought away.

'No that can't be it, not the way that her and Nick looked at me…oh god how did they find out.'

Deep in his thought Finnick felt something on his back. It felt soothing as well as comforting. He looked up to see that although his focus was on the movie, Gideon was idly petting him.

He didn't know how much time had passed since Gideon started petting him, but soon he realized he was curled up close to the larger fox. His soft petting had helped calm the fennec down to where he was content again. He looked up to Gideon and then to Nick and Judy before laying his head back on the fox's side.

'Is this what she meant when she said it was ok to move on'

The lights suddenly turned on causing Finnick to wince. Apparently while he was in thought the movie had ended. He saw everyone getting up to, except for Gideon who was still sitting with him.

"Well guess its time I headed out" he said giving Finnick one more gentle pat on the head. "Remember ta think it over now"

In that moment it clicked in Finnick's head that Gideon was about to leave. Deep in the back of his head he didn't want the red fox to leave him; it actually made him a little nervous that he was. Whatever lingering doubts in his head were deafened by the feelings of dread.

As he stood up Finnick latched onto his side with a tight hug.

"Aww don't worry I'm not goin away forever" he said in a calming tone

"yes" Finnick quietly mumbled into Gideon's side

"Hhhm, sorry apple fritter I couldn't hear ya"

"Yes…yes I want to come live with you" said Finnick as tears were forming in his eyes.

Finnick looked into the larger fox's eyes, which were tearing up with happiness. In one swoop Gideon scooped up Finnick and held him in a warm soft hug. He couldn't help but overhear an "aww" coming from the rabbit as they hugged.

Still in Gideon's arms Finnick looked right towards Judy.

"Judy….. Thank you."

"Don't look at me" she responded as she pointed her thumb to Nick "It was all Nick's idea"

Finnick's eyes went wide with disbelief when he found only response the red fox had for Finnick was a sheepish smile and awkward body language.

When the little one was put down Gideon went over a few things with everyone.

"I need about a week or so to get everythin ready for ya" he said with a smile.

And so they agreed that Finnick would continue to stay with Nick until Gideon got everything he needed ready. Before heading out Nick decided it would be a good idea to take a group picture. All three of the larger mammals gathered around the countertop with Finnick climbing up onto it for a quick picture.

After saying there goodbyes to Judy, Gideon followed Nick and Finnick back to his apartment. The two red foxes chatted for a bit on things like how to get to Nick's place and when he had off of work. Before leaving Nick went to the back room to grab something. A blush of slight embarrassment came over Finnick's face as he saw Nick had gone to retrieve their old pink stroller.

"Consider it a baby shower present" Nick said in a mocking tone.

Finnick was about to speak up and yell at Nick, that is until he saw Gideon approaching him.

"Now I promise it'll only be a week, be good for me will ya" he said smiling.

The small fox just looked up at him and responded.

"Yeah…. I promise"

Finnick felt his head get gently ruffled by Gideon. Once goodbyes were exchanged Nick went promptly to bed. Slowly Finnick made his way from the kitchen to his bedroom still thinking about what just happened. In one evening he went from sharing an apartment with his friend, to his friends finding out about his special interests, to moving in with his would be "daddy". This would have seemed weird to most mammals but to him he didn't mind it. Turning the knob to his door the fox felt, happy, as unknown to him a small smile was on his face.

For the rest of the week things went on as normal. Nick was already out the door for work by the time Finnick had gotten up. To correct Finnick's height impairment, Nick had decided to make a make-shift stool out of an old box he found. Finnick used his free time to play with the phone Judy had given him. When that became boring his mind started to drift off.

He kept wondering how Nick and Judy found out about his little hobby. It annoyed it fennec to no end because he was so sure he was careful with everything he did. Throughout the week the question of how they found out kept coming back to him. Although they didn't treat him any differently, part of him was somewhat worried that Nick thought he was disgusting or some sort of freak that needed to be locked up.

On the day before Gideon said he would be coming back Finnick woke up and found the red fox sitting at the table for breakfast. Apparently it was Nick's day off and Finnick completely forgot about it.

"Morning baby butt"

Finnick grumbled as he went to get breakfast. For the rest of the day the thought of Nick's disgust lingered in his head. As they sat and watched TV together he couldn't stop thinking about it. The thoughts kept getting louder and louder in the fox's head until he couldn't take it anymore. Because Gideon was coming to take him back to his place Finnick had no idea when he'd see Nick again.

With a sigh and a slight blush he turned to Nick. He had to know the answer once and for all, if not for his own sanity.

"Hey Nick"

"Yeah" the fox responded

"Look I'm gonna be blunt with you. How the hell did you guys find out about me and Gideon. And…..ya know… what do you… think about it"

It was hard for Finnick to talk about such a personal , and embarrassing, matter with his friend.

Nick sat with a blank expression for a minute thinking over what he was going to say. He sighed as he muted the TV.

"Ok look. Me and carrots found out about your little play dates when we went down to the Burrows for New Years Eve. We saw your van in the driveway and took a peek through the window"

Nick fished out his phone and showed a picture of Gideon holding the small fox to Finnick. The fox responded with a deep angry red blush.

"Don't be so mad you make a cute baby"

Finnick responded with an annoyed grunt through his blushing.

"Well anyway how I feel is…..well it's…"

It was hard for Nick to get out what he was saying. The blush the red fox had was noticeable to Finnick. With a deep breath Nick collected his words.

"It's weird. I'm gonna be perfectly honest and say I think it's kinda weird"

His ears drooped down almost instantly when hearing his friend's honest opinion

"But I don't mind it" he said

"Huh?" Finnick responded with a puzzled look on his face.

"Look…. I might find it weird but that doesn't mean I think any less of you. You're still my friend even if I don't share your weird kinks"

There was dead silence in the room. Fox looked at fox; one gave a smile of confidence while the other gave a sheepish smile of relief.

"Plus it's not like your doing anything…..well you know" said Nick

"NO. Oh god no" he responded with a defensive tone

A small chuckle from Nick caused Finnick to start to laugh too. The little laugh soon turned into pure hysteria as both foxes laughed the night away.

The day had finally come. Finnick woke up earlier than usual felling slightly nervous. The pervious night Gideon had called telling him and Nick he was ready for Finnick to move in and that he'd be there tomorrow to pick Finnick up.

It was around 10 in the morning when he heard a knock at the door. Finnick's heart skipped a beat as Nick went to open the door. The small fox let out a sigh as he saw it was just Judy.

"Just thought I'd come over and see you off" she said cheerily

With his heart rate back to normal Finnick gave her a nod as he continued the seemingly endless waiting. To the fennec it felt like hours, but in reality it was only about 20 minutes when someone knocked again. This time there was no mistake for who it was.

As Nick opened the door Gideon stepped through with a beaming smile on his face. Finnick turned away blushing as he saw the red fox had a light blue diaper bag on his left shoulder covered in cute little fox prints.

"Sorry it took me so long to get mahself here. I don't understand how ya city folk put up with all this commotion all the time?"

As Gideon sat his bag down he reached in and pulled out a box

"Here ya go. They almost didn't have it ready in time but I made sure they stayed on schedule" said Gideon, handing the wrapped box over to Finnick

He sat there with a curious expression on his face

'What could he have possibly gotten me'

Ripping and tearing sounds echoed throughout the apartment. Seeing what was in the box produced a bright red blush on the fox's face. Finnick was stunned as he pulled the soft small elephant baby onesie out of the box.

"I remembered yer sizes from doin your laundry. Plus Nick helped fill in the finer details"

Gideon had gone out of his way to recreate his little cub outfit that was lost in the fire. It looked almost exactly the same as his old one. He happily looked up to the bigger fox; which quickly changed to a look of embarrassment. He, in turn was looking down at him while holding a diaper in his paw.

"Y'all mind turnin around for a minute"

Finnick looked over to Judy to see she had a nervous blush on her face. It was Nick who gently turned her head towards the wall and gave the other red fox thumbs up.

Gideon quickly went to work. He could tell he was extremely uncomfortable having a diaper put on him in front of his friends. He took as little time as possible, placing the new diaper under him and applying a light dusting of powder. When it was properly secured Gideon took the outfit and motioned for Finnick to step through. One leg at a time the fennec donned his new costume. Surprisingly to Finnick, the new outfit felt even softer than the old one.

His sensitive hearing picked up on a whispered "aww" coming from the bunny rabbit.

Finnick looked over to them and saw Judy was smiling while Nick gave him a nod.

"Alright I got a lotta things to do today so go ahead and say yer goodbyes now"

With the thick diaper between his legs, Finnick had to waddle over to Judy. He gently hugged her leg as she bent down to give him a hug back.

"See you later Finnick"

Upon breaking the hug Finnick just looked at Nick in the eyes

"What? No bye bye hug fo…."

He was cut off mid sentence as Finnick gave him a firm hug on his legs.

"Thank you Nick. Thank you for everything that you've done for me. I'm sorry for yelling and being so mad at you before. Y….your my best friend."

A nervous smile went over the Nick's face. Since seeing Finnick so emotional was still new to the red fox he had no idea how to respond to him: especially with him admitting something like that to him. In the end all Nick did was gently pat the top of the fennec's head.

"Just be good okay"

Satisfied with the heartfelt so long, the small fox was scooped up. Gideon put what few thing the fox had left into the diaper bag. Held in one paw by Gideon he looked at Judy and Nick, gave one last goodbye and a wave, and shut the door behind him. Judy looked over to Nick and saw he had barely noticeable tears in his eyes.

"Nick. Are you crying?" she asked

The fox just smirked and wiped the tears.

"Nah just had something in my eye is all"

Judy just stared at Nick, giving him a look saying she wasn't buying it.

*sigh* "I just hope things work out for him is all"

She gave a small chuckle to the in response.

"Don't worry you overly emotional fox I know he's in good paws" said Judy confidently.

Outside of the apartment a similar scene unfolded. As the fox duo approached the elevator the larger one's ears perked up. He heard sniffling coming from his newly christened kit; most likely saddened after having leaving his friends.

"Heeeey" he cooed to comfort the fox "It's not goodbye forever. We'll be back to see them again someday. I promise"

The elevator approached the ground floor of the apartment lobby. Walking to the door Gideon went over the plan he had for them today.

"Well since it might be a while before we come back to the city I figured you and me could spend the day together here before we head back."

Gideon took Finnick and put him on his shoulders

"Except this time, you can get a good view of the city"

Out of nowhere Finnick let out a giggle of joy. Nobody had ever given him a ride on their shoulders before. It was thrilling for a small fox to be up so sigh. The best part was now he no longer had to look up at everyone; now about half the mammals of the city had to look up at him. And all the passerby's saw was a father giving his son a piggy back ride.

Before they could get their sight seeing day started Gideon had to get take care an errand to take care of. Since the Bunny Burrows had none of the major retail stores the city had, Gideon had decided he would get a new phone here instead of driving an hour away to the nearest town.

Entering the iPaw store Finnick was hit with a blast of cold air from the AC. Gideon took him off his shoulders as he talked with the employees about wanting a new phone. With what seemed liked hours Finnick just saw there.

Looking at the patrons in the store he noticed a polar bear entering the establishment. The small fox started shaking as he recognized him as one of the thugs that beat him almost a month ago.

With few hiding placed Finnick opted to get behind Gideon's leg for safety.

"Aww it's ok little one" said the fox "I'm all finish now"

He was scooped back into his arms. On the walk to the exit, they were about to walk right past the bear. Finnick just buried his face in Gideon's chest to avoid detection. It seemed to work as in a few seconds he felt the hot sun on his outfit again. As with before Finnick was placed back onto Gideon's shoulders and he was off again.

The city was a new experience to Gideon. All the sounds and sites were enough to set the country bumpkins senses on fire. Contrast to the fennec that was riding on his shoulders which he saw as everyday background noise. Except now the fennec got to experience from a new perspective: more specifically about a three foot higher perspective.

When lunch time came Gideon had decided on just a quick fast food place to eat. Once ordered Gideon put Finnick into a booster set and sat down at the table. A small blush went his face when the kid's meal was placed in front of him.

"Open up little one" said Gideon who had taken the liberty of cutting Finnick's bug burger into small bite sized pieces.

There they were. They were in a public place and Gideon feeding him. Swallowing every bite that was fed to him something in his mind let go as Finnick just didn't care.

With their food consumed Gideon picked up Finnick and cradled him. At first Finnick thought they were heading out the door. However his eyes widened as they went to the bathroom instead.

"I think you could use a change before we go"

Underneath of the elephant hoodie was a bright blushing fox. He know he couldn't do anything about his current situation but that didn't make it any less embarrassing. With changing table down and his diaper undone Finnick couldn't help but whine in protest, especially seeing as they weren't the only ones in the restroom.

"Shhh it's ok"

Finnick just shut his eyes. Deep down he trusted the fox when it came to things like this. Although didn't make things any less embarrassing though, but somehow it made the red fox feel happy.

Once lunch was over it was back to site seeing. Finnick rode piggy back seeing some places which he never really went to, like Gazelle Tower.

Even if he was the size of a baby, carrying somebody on your shoulders all day can make you tired. Gideon stopped near the Watering Hole park and took at seat at the bench.

With a relaxing sigh Finnick was shifted from his shoulders to the crook of his arm. A slight tired look was on Gideon's face as he smiled down at Finnick.

"I just need a breather for a bit"

A nod in acknowledgment was all Gideon needed as his focus shifted to the diaper bag. The sounds of cubs playing could be heard all around the duo. A small part of Finnick wanted to get up and walk around for a bit, but oddly he felt more comfortable sitting with Gideon.

Nudged by something near his Finnick looked up at Gideon. He was surprised to see that he was holding a full bottle of milk. Gideon shifted Finnick into the usual position and popped the nipple part into his mouth. With a slight smile Finnick just shut his eyes and stared to suckle.

A warm hum came from Gideon as he watched his small companion happily drink in his arms. Staring at the fox with his eyes like that made Gideon think back to when Judy called him all those weeks ago.

"uuugh hello" Gideon said in a groggy tone.

"Gideon It's Judy"

"ugh Judy. It's nice to hear from ya n all" he said with one eye shut "but it's 1 in da mornin"

"Gideon listen to me it's important I …" she said before the fox cut her off

"Jude I'd love to talk right now but I gotta get up n a few hours for work so if ya don't mind"

"DAMNIT GIDEON LISTEN TO ME. FINNICK IS IN THE HOSPITAL" she shouted in order to get her point across

It took the sleepy fox's brain a few seconds to register what she had said. Once the weight of what she said took hold his eye's widened in shock. Out of confusion Gideon dropped the phone as he dangled by the wire.

"Gid you there" said Judy in a concerned tone.

Taking a moment to collect himself, he picked up the phone again.

"W…what did you just say"

"Look. Gideon. Me and Nick know about what you and Finnick do. But right now that isn't important: what is important is that he's hurt and he's in the hospital"

After chatting about the fate of Finnick, the fox got the name and address of the hospital Finnick was at. With no time to give Mr. and Mrs. Hopps a proper explanation Gideon just left a note that said 'Emergency. Will be out of town'

Gideon rushed down to the train station and boarded the first train heading to the city. Riding up the elevator felt like eternity for the fox. Judy had explained to him that her partner Nick would be watching over him and to talk to him further about what to do. As he reached the door to the foxes room he slowly opened the door and went cold.

There laying in the bed, covered in bruises, barely clinging to life was his little apple fritter. The one he gently held in his arms. The one he bottle fed. The one he comforted when he broke down crying.

Now it was the red foxes turn to cry as his eyes got watery. He sat down in the empty seat next to the bed. Every beep of the heart rate monitors make the fox cringe. His ears perked up as he heard the door. Expecting the doctor, Gideon got up to greet them. Instead he was greeted with the site of another red fox in a police uniform.

'Must be Judy's friend' Gideon thought to himself.

Nick look over at Gideon. He saw the concerned worried expression he had over his face.

Attempting to break the tension Nick started to speak

"So I gotta know. Is it a sex thing?"

Nick thought his attempt at humor offended the fox. At first Gideon kept his worried expression on his face for a few seconds. Then it slowly changed into a small grin as he chuckled to himself.

To get Gideon's mind off of their current situation, Nick decided to just idly talk with him. He explained that he knew Finnick for years and they were very close. In turn Gideon talked his relation with Finnick.

"It's just that I love the feelin I get from takin care of someone smaller than me."

Nick nodded "Not a bad thing."

Hours passed and the two red foxes kept talking. It was getting to a point where Gideon needed to start thinking about heading back home.

"I just hate that I have to be so far away from him. I just wanna be here ya know?"

Nick got a serious look on his face as he turned to face Gideon

"Look. I've known Finnick for a long time. The way I saw him with you last year was the happiest I've ever seen him. He may not say it but I can tell he loves being around you."

"What are ya gettin at?" said Gideon

"Since the "incident" Finnick doesn't really have much left for him anymore here in the city. And you said you'd like to be closer to him. So why not ask him to move in with you, that way you can be close to him"

Gideon fell silent. It was true that he loved every time Finnick had come to stay over. But never had he thought about having the small fox permanently live with him. He stood over Finnick his cuts and bruises still fresh. The red fox smiled as he gently ran his paw over his face.

What happened next made everyone on the room jump. The machines that Finnick was hooked up too started to beep. An alarm on his heart rate monitor went off with the indicator showing no pulse.

"Nurse. NURSE" Nick shouted

Within seconds a team of doctors showed up with a crash cart ready to revive the predator. Just as they were about to administer a shock one of the nurses took at look at his wires.

*sigh*"False alarm. His heart monitor got disconnected"

Each doctor let out a grunt of annoyance as one by one they exited the small hospital room.

"Heh you hear that Gid. All that worry over a little detached wire"

Gideon said nothing. Nick looked over to see the fox had not moved at all. He didn't think it was possible but Nick could actually see the color rained away form his fur. It took Gideon to recover from the possibility he was about to lose his little apple fritter.

"So now that all the fun is over. What did you decide?" Nick said to Gideon

All Gideon could do smile as he looked down at Finnick and then back to Nick.

"Yeah. I think I need him in my life almost as much as he needs me"

Weeks later when Finnick officially said yes to moving in Gideon was ecstatic. He rushed strait home and started clearing out his old room to be move in ready for his new baby. The one week deadline was a little stressful but thankfully he had Travis's help.

The room was nearly finish. Gideon went out of his way to buy new furniture and every amenity a nursery would need. Wardrobe now consisted of mostly babyish clothing Gideon had bought at a little store in town. When the shopkeeper saw how much Gideon was buying he got curious.

"So Gid, what's all the baby clothes for?"

Gideon just looked to the cashier and said

"I'm having a baby"

It wasn't until 7 in the even when the fox duo decided to board the train back to the Burrows. As Finnick laid on Gideon's chest the red fox slouched back to give his small psudo-kit a more comfortable position. Gideon was busy playing with his new smartphone to get a better idea of how it worked. Rhythmic heart beats soothed the fennec from a long day out. His eyes were getting heavy, soon he would submit to his own tiredness. Finnick yawned as he looked out the window to get one last look at the city.

Said slowly shrinking city was bathed in orange from the setting sun. Finnick didn't get to see it this way very much but it made the city look very warm. With one final blink the tired fennec finally submitted to his own exhaustion.

 _He couldn't tell where he was, all he knew was that he couldn't leave. Something cold and hard prevented him from wondering off. Fear filled him as he started to cry out for someone. He felt all alone as for all he could tell nobody was around. Curled up he started sobbing; that's when he felt a warm pair of paws pick him up. He couldn't make out the face of the mammal; all he could tell was that it was a red fox. The mammal cradled him in their arms. He should have been scared but something about this red fox made him feel safe. He leaned his head near their chest and let out a content sigh; for all that mattered was he felt safe._

"Wake up Apple Fritter, we're home"

The sleeping Finnick awoke to the site of Gideon smiling at him. Home. That was a word Finnick hadn't used in a long time. Sure the van was where he lived, but he never considered it his home.

He could tell he had been asleep for a while because now it was dark out. Click after click Gideon unbuckled the fox from the car seat he was placed in. Still sleepy, the groggy fox was carried by Gideon into their new home.

Once inside Gideon plopped his diaper bad on the counter. He looked to Finnick and said

"I think you need a bath before bed"

The groggy fox just nodded. He was too tired to argue with him. Finnick was promptly carried to the bathroom and stripped down to nothing. With the warm water going the fennec just stood there naked. He didn't even bother to cover himself up: Gideon had seen him naked plenty of times now so it didn't matter.

Sitting down, the warm water felt nice to the Saharan mammal. Moving his arms he just went through the motions as the warm wash rag was dragged over his fur. He whined in surprise when he felt the rag go lower, but it didn't last long.

"You know" said Gideon "I was thinking that this Christmas I'd introduce you to mo foaks.

Looking down he saw what he said didn't register to Finnick. He was more focused on staying awake in the warm bath water.

With water drained and fur dried off a think blue nighttime diaper was wrapped around his waste. The onesie was next to follow. Finnick ran his paws over the light baby blue outfit as he blushed feeling the spot for the butt flap, knowing it's intended purpose. If he wasn't ready for bed before he sure was now. The small fox let out a tired yawn.

"I got one more surprise for you"

Finnick just blinked. Still in Gideon's arms he looked at the door to his old room

"SURPRISE"

Finnick was surprised at how far Gideon went. His old room was completely repainted with the light colors you would see in a baby nursery. The makeshift changing table was replaced with a real one complete with all the things necessary for diaper changes. The crib was still in the middle of the room but now it had a mobile dangling above it. Rocking chair, bookshelf, and other things decorated the room. Finnick's gaze was drawn to the bookshelf. He could see there were two pictures, one being the group picture of them when he went over for movie night. The second one Finnick had to focus his gaze a little more. When he finally made out the image on the framed old photo he started to sniffle. His eyes watered up as all he said was

"Mama" he said

"Yup. Must have fell out the last time you was here. I meant to give it back to ya the next time ya came over but with everythin that happened I took the liberty of havin it framed."

With the fox still in his arms he walked over to the pictures

"Now ya'll always have a reminder of you old and new family"

He looked up to the red fox. It might not have meant much to Gideon but in Finnick's eyes he saved her; he had saved his mama.

Starting to cry he gently hugged Gideon

"I…..I love you…daddy"

He felt the fox bring him close to his face. He felt a light kiss on the top of his skull as he whispered in his ears.

"I love you too Apple Fritter"

Placed in the crib Gideon turned off the lights and said his goodnights. The window was still open as a warm summer breeze blew through. It spun the mobile as the soothing chimes worked their hypnotic spell over Finnick. He rolled over towards the window the see the faint glowing of the city. Using the last of his energy he raised his paw up towards the window.

"Goodbye Nick. I'll never forget you"

And with that he laid down and went to sleep, ending the first night of his new life.

The End.


End file.
